The Four Truths
by muishiki
Summary: AU - Ranma's training is forced to take a different path due to circumstances beyond his control. Join his quest to make sense of life and the Art, joined by familiar figures. Complete! Fixed the duplicated omake.
1. Prologue

Wisdom, Morality, and Meditation

Prologue

Far from the nearest town...

"Pops, I don't want to go back in the pit. Don't make me, Papa... Please!"

"Ranma, a true martial artist should be willing to give up his life for the sake of the Art!"

"But I'm scared, pops!" Ranma was already covered in bloody gashes from the previous attempts to teach him the Neko-ken. He cowered in a corner of the abandoned house his dad had occupied for "training" purposes. Ranma could hear the screeching and yowling of the cats trapped in the pit below. "I don't wanna learn the Neko-ken."

"You will learn it, boy!" Genma cuffed Ranma on the side of the head, and picked up the stunned boy by the back of his gi. Half carrying, half dragging the protesting boy towards the pit, Genma took a moment to reflect. Maybe the age of six was too early to try and teach the Neko-ken. But, if anyone could learn it, Genma was sure that his son could.

Genma instinctively countered the arm-bar that Ranma attempted to break his father's grip. Quickly delivering a jab to the boy's face, Genma stunned Ranma just long enough to completely wrap the boy in fish sausages and smear him with fish paste.

"Ranma, you'd better learn the Neko-ken this time... I'm running out of fish." With that, Genma kicked back the hatch of the pit, and threw the boy to the awaiting cats. He slammed the lid shut and sat down by the trap door to wait. Some time later, after Ranma's screams were overwhelmed by the noise and before the cats grew silent, Genma was overcome with a sense of foreboding. The cats grew quite much sooner than normal and the boy was quiet as well. Usually, the boy's crying could be heard even after the cats had quieted down. What had gone wrong to cause this sudden, eerie silence?

"Ranma, are you alright?"

Genma got no reply. Hesitantly, he grabbed a flash light, turned it on, and opened the trap door. Shining the light into the darkness, he could see no movements, nor could he hear any sounds. Suddenly, a pair of blue, gleaming eyes reflected light back at Genma. He barely had time to say, "Oh shit!" before all hell broke loose.


	2. Right Understanding

Chapter 1. – Right Understanding

Ranma awoke sometime later with a weird metallic taste in his mouth. Opening his eyes, he noticed couple things. First, it was bright as hell, and it hurt to keep his eyes open. Second, he was curled up into a ball. He ached all over, his head hurt, his vision was blurry, and his fingers felt raw. Ranma rolled over on to his back, turned his head to do a quick scan of his surroundings. It was still too bright for him to see, but he could tell he was outside; the stench told him that in back of the old building, close to the spot he and his dad had been using as the bathroom.

Wrinkling his nose, Ranma tried to block out the stench. He pushed himself up with his arms, till he was sitting Indian style, gritting his teeth as the world swam. The pounding in his head started in earnest. He looked down at himself and noticed he was covered in cuts, large and small. Blood soaked his gi, turning the white garment a dirty brown. He forced the soles of his feet flat on the ground and stood – or rather, he tried to stand, but his acing legs protested so much at the movement that he collapsed onto his knees. Throwing his arms forward to keep himself from falling, Ranma, crawled to the side of the building before falling over and passing out.

When he awoke, the sun had gone down. It was too dark to see much, but then again, Ranma's head wasn't swimming as much anymore. The stench was stronger now. A weak source of light radiated from the window of the building, just above where he lay. Using the side of the building for support, he forced his aching muscles to respond, and he eventually managed to stand.

Ranma pushed himself off of the building, but kept his left hand on it for support. He swallowed to work moisture into his raw throat. "Pops? Where are you, Papa?" Getting no reply, Ranma shuffled towards the light. Every once in a while he would pause, and call out to his father.

He was too short to peer over the window sill. "Papa... it's me, Ranma! Where are you Papa?" Rounding the corner of the house, he saw the back door had been ripped off its hinges and was lying in the grass a few meters away. "Pops, this isn't funny! Where are you?" He carefully stepped through the back door, avoiding the jagged pieces of wood and broken glass that lay strewn about the floor.

The inside of the house was trashed. Ranma's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him. His father's flashlight lay on the floor, beam shining towards the wall opposite Ranma. The walls were gouged with parallel sets of slash marks, inches deep. The stench that he had noticed earlier was got worse. Ranma moved to pick up the flashlight and stepped in something sticky. He pointed the light at his feet and saw shining dark puddles scattered over the floor.

A large trail of liquid receded away from the pool at Ranma's feet, towards the next room in the house. Following the path, he swept the flashlight back and forth, noticing signs of more damage – a chunk of floor missing here, a hole in the wall there, more parallel lines in the walls, the floors, the ceilings... everywhere. More of the paint adorned the walls and was splattered on the floor.

Ranma stepped through the door way and was seized by a wave of dizziness. Bracing himself on the jamb, his hand came away wet and sticky. He jerked his hand away, and hesitantly brought his hand to his face. "That's blood..." he muttered. His eyes widened as he realized that all liquid was blood. "Pops?" Ranma yelled. "Papa? Where are you? POPS? DAD?" Ranma fought down the panic rising in his stomach.

As he stepped into the other room, the damage to the house got worse. More holes, more lines in the floors and walls, and more blood. Ranma was scared. He raced through the room, sweeping his light back and forth, looking for his father. There was nothing in here save the damage and the blood. So much blood...

"DAAD!!" Ranma worked his way through the house, checking the each room he came across. He had still found no sign of his father, even though his stuff was located in the back bedroom, as far from the pit as possible. One wall of the bedroom had a very large hole knocked in it, opening into a small garden. Ranma clambered though, desperate to find his father.

At first, Ranma didn't find his father as much as he found pieces of him. When Ranma finally found his father, he immediately regretted it. He was in the back of the garden, or at least what was left of him was. Leaning up against a small tea house, Genma had survived for a while, but eventually the loss of blood and massive trauma got to him. He was covered in small cuts over most of his body. His left leg had been severed at the knee, and his right leg was shredded bone deep from the thigh down. Genma had managed to tie a tourniquet around his left leg, though. That was impressive mainly because both his arms were bloody messes. What probably killed him however was the laceration that ran from left hip across his abdomen to his right shoulder and had caused his intestines to spill to the ground.

Even with all his injuries, he had written several things in his own blood on the wall of the tea house.

'Ranma, Master the Cat. Perfect the Art. Learn everything. Take my bag. Find Tendo So...'


	3. Right Resolve

Chapter 2

Ranma watched as the house burnt down before him. Shouldering his pack, he watched as the place was consumed by flames, burning the body of his father. He had taken what he could carry out of his father's bag, including the scrolls he had found. On the back of one of the scrolls, Ranma carefully copied his father's last words. Then, he dragged Genma's body to the house, collected as much wood as he could carry, tossed his blood soaked gi on the pile, doused it in the cooking fuel his father had packed, and set it all ablaze.

'Master the Cat.' Ranma knew he had killed his father. Somehow, he had caused the devastation he had witnessed. He had memory, no inkling of what he had done. He needed to learn. But first, he needed to go to the temple he had passed with his father to have the monks there perform a funeral rite for his father. Body racked with sobs, he watched until the last of the flames died down and the embers cooled. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but when he awoke the next morning, Ranma simply wandered in the direction of the last town he and his father had visited, unsure of what to do next.

Two Years Later

Ranma hefted the pack on his shoulders to adjust the weight. He was only eight, but had already spent the last two years trying to carry out his father's wishes. He was tired, hungry, and wanted to find this fabled training ground he had been told of. He didn't know how he would master the Art, but he thought it was good to visit various dojo's and train for a few months before moving on. He was a quick study – he only needed to see a technique or kata once to memorize it, then, he would practice on his own till he could perfect it.

Needless to say, most martial artists went out of their way to help him when they learned his story. The temple he visited after immolating his father had been enormously helpful in dealing with the grief. He came to have a sutra read for his father's repose. The abbot had taken him aside, and explained to him about life, suffering, and the four noble truths.

"Ranma," the abbot said, "What do you know of the Dharma?"

"The what?"

"The teachings of the Buddha, Ranma."

"Isn't he that little guy with the bubbly head that lives in our shrine at home?"

"HA! Yes and no. You see, the Buddha was an Indian prince. According to the Buddha, there are four noble truths. The first is that to live is suffering. Second, desire fuels suffering. Third, the cessation of suffering leads to nirvana. Fourth, the road to enlightenment can be obtained by assiduous practice of wisdom, morality, and meditation."

"I don't understand, Sensei."

The abbot smiled. "Of course not, child. Nor do I! Those who do can never explain it. That is why I am here practicing, while you, Ranma, you have a much easier road to follow. All you have to do is do exactly what your father has asked. Come. Let us recite a sutra for him together. Repeat after me. Namu amida butsu."

"Nam bu ambida busu?"

"Close. Try again. Na mu a mi da bu tsu."

"Na mu a mi da bu tsu."

The abbot smiled. "Good. You are now a step closer to mastering the art. Never forget that, Ranma. Everything in stages. Now, let me show you how to meditate. In time, I am sure you will be teaching me about the Dharma. Come. Your father is watching. Let us ease his suffering."

Ranma stumbled over a root. He cursed himself for falling into a daydream. Concentrating on finding the hidden valley of the Kunoichi, he trudged on. It was starting to get dark, and he would need to set up camp soon. Ranma marched on for a couple miles more until he found a small mountain brook at the base of a small hill.

"Looks like a good spot..."

Pitching his tent and setting out his sleeping bag only took a few minutes, so Ranma started a fire and set some water on to boil in a double boiler. In the bottom pan were small stones, and the water sat on top in pot. While waiting for the water, he began running through the kata he had picked up previously in the last dojo, working to perfect them, committing the movements to somatic memory so that he could concentrate on breathing and keeping his form in good shape.

The water had still not boiled 45 minutes later, so transferred the water to the fire directly, and moved the now searing stones aside. This was the other thing he had picked up in the last dojo – hand and foot toughening. He pulled a burning log out of the fire by the unlit end, built a second small fire ring, and placed the stone filled burner pan on top of the flame again. Breathing deep, Ranma plunged his hands into the stones.

With a yelp, he pulled his hands out. "Guess the Sensei was right. I need to go a little slower..." The water was boiling. Ranma made dinner, set aside a small portion for the soul of his dad, and left the stones on the fire.

After the meal was eaten and the dishes cleaned, he began his practice once again. With each quick jab into the hot stones, his confidence grew as he learned how to deal with the heat. "So, I just breathe like this...."

Exhale. Inhale. In went the hands. The sun slowly began to fall towards the horizon.

"And focus on forcing the breath to my hands..."

Exhale. Inhale. Out came the hands.

And so it continued, till the sun was long gone and only the fire's feeble light lit the camp site. With a sigh, Ranma stopped his practice and pulled out a texts book and began studying how to read and write characters, math, and geography. It was getting late. Ranma packed away his books, meditated, applied some ointment to his hands, crawled into his tent and went to bed.

The cold woke Ranma up in the morning. This high in the mountains, the cold was more than the boy was expecting. He crawled out of the tent to be greeted by the site of a little girl about his age eating the rice he had set aside for his father last night. She was wearing a dirty gi, had her forearms and shins taped, and sported a pony tail that stretched to her lower back. With an inarticulate cry, Ranma launched himself at the offender, intent on pounding the little girl. To his surprise, the girl whipped around and executed a perfect leg sweep, sending Ranma to the ground.

Ranma quickly sprung to his feet, and faced his opponent. Her stance told Ranma that the girl knew martial arts. Ranma slowly slid forward, guard raised. The girl mirrored his actions. The two began circling, looking for an opening. Hoping to distract the girl, Ranma asked, "Why did you eat my dad's rice?"

"It was just left out there. I watched you leave it out last night."

"Yeah, well, it was for my pops." Ranma lowered his shoulder, hoping the girl would thing he was getting ready to change direction.

"I didn't see him. How was I supposed to know?"

"You won't," Ranma growled, "because he's dead." The look of shock on the girl's face gave Ranma the opening he needed. He lashed out with a right front snap kick, forcing the girl to dodge left, into Ranma's left haymaker. She knocked his punch across her body, forcing Ranma to over extend, and jabbed him a couple of times in his exposed midriff and kidneys.

Ranma spun, connecting with an elbow to the side of her head.

"That hurt, you know." Ranma growled, holding his side.

"Yeah, so did yours." She shook her head, forcing the spots in her vision to clear.

"Ready?"  
"Yeah. Let's go!"

The battle was joined in earnest.

After a couple of hours, the two kids lay on their backs, panting, dirty, and too tired to move. "What's your name?" Ranma asked.

"Konatsu Kenzan. Your's?"

"Saotome Ranma. You are really good, Konatsu." Panting, Ranma struggled to lift his head and failed. With a thud, he let his head fall back. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I'm a kuno ichi. My mom and dad taught me how to fight."  
"A girl ninja? Wow. That's really cool. How did you get here?"

"Oh, I live just over the hill there."

"If you live here, why did you have to eat that rice? Don't you have food at home?"

"My mom died a last year. My dad got remarried, but my step mom doesn't treat me very well. My step-mom treats me really bad, but my dad doesn't know because he's sick, and doesn't get out of bed much any more."

"Oh, gosh Konatsu, I'm sorry 'bout your mom and all."

"That's okay. I just hope my dad gets well soon and can get rid of my awful step mother. What about your dad? You said he was dead."

"Yeah, he died a few years ago, too. He... died trying to teach me a banned technique." Ranma paused. "Ever hear of the Neko-Ken?"

"Nope... But I am pretty sure my dad might know. What about your mom, Ranma?

"I don't remember her very well. I know she lives in Tokyo somewhere, but I have to finish the task my dad set out to do before I go back."

"What's that?"

"Master the Neko-Ken. Perfect the Art. Learn all I can, and find some guy named Tendo."

Konatsu turned her head to look at Ranma. "Is that all?"

"Yeap."

"Oh. Then you'll be done in no time!"

"Yeah, I hope. I miss my mom." Ranma slowly rolled over, wincing with every movement. "You still hungry, Konatsu? I can make some food."

"Uh – huh! Before we eat, do you mind I just pass out for a little while?"

"Sounds good."

The sun was high overhead by the time the Konatsu and Ranma woke up. Groaning, the two began the slow task of standing. Both were covered in bruises, dirt and a little blood from their previous tussle.

"Wanna meet my dad, Ranma?"

"Sure, I think that would be great. Help me carry some water?"

After water had been secured, Ranma began to start a fire while Kontasu stretched.

"So, you just basically wander around looking to get better at the Art?" With a grimace, Konatsu began to work out the kinks in her body. "What exactly do you hope to do with it?"

"Don't know exactly, Konatsu. But I can't go home till I do, and I know I have a lot to learn. Hell, you fought me to a dead stand still, and all I ever do is train. So, I've got to get better. Plus, I am no where near mastering the Neko-Ken. I don't even know what it is, or how it works. All I have is this training manual left over, and it's so stained I can't read it."

"I'm sure my dad will help."

"I hope so. Ready to eat?"

"You betcha! After this, I'll take you to my house, deal? Bring the training manual, I'm sure my dad would want to see it."

"Deal!"

When the meal was over, Konatsu led the way. When they crested the hill where Ranma had camped, he saw a small, neatly kept house. Konatsu ran to the entrance, kicked off her sandals, and cried out, "Daddy, I'm home! I brought a friend!" Turning to Ranma, Konatsu motioned for him to take off his shoes and enter the house. Running towards the back of the house, Konatsu knelt in front of a pair of shoji and slowly slid the paper doors open.

"Dad? You awake?" Konatsu's voice was subdued. Quickly stepping inside the dark bed room, she walked softly towards a man lying on a futon in the middle of the room.

The man slowly turned his eyes towards the approaching ninja. "Kenzan! Welcome back. Where did you go?"

"I found a new friend, Dad! I wanted you to meet him, because he has some questions you can answer."

"Ho? That so, Kenzan? And who is this friend of yours?"

Ranma stepped forward, into the man's line of sight. "I'm Saotome Ranma. Pleased to meet you, Konatsu-san."

"How polite. I'm pleased to meet you as well, Ranma. Did you say Saotome? Was your father by any chance named Genma?"

"Yes sir, he was. Did you know him?"

"I know him by reputation only. What do you mean, was?"

"He died nearly two years ago."

"Hmm... Come here, Ranma." The man patted the ground next to Konatsu. "Tell me what happened."

"Well, that's actually why I came to see you. Konatsu mentioned you might know something about it. You see, my dad was training me in the Neko-ken." Ranma pulled the training manual out of his pocket and extended it towards Konatsu's dad.

"The Neko-ken? Hmm... not good. Kenzan, help me sit up." Konatsu rushed to comply, gently pulling her father into a sitting position. She quickly fetched a support for his back so that he could sit up unassisted.

"Tell me what happened, Ranma. Start from the beginning of the training, and try to include as many details as you can." He reached for the manual Ranma held forth. He stared at the book. It was covered in old stains, changing the original color of the book from green to a sickly brown. Opening the book, he saw that many of the pages were similarly stained, the worst of which made the book illegible.

He listened carefully as Ranma told him about the pit, the cats, and waking up to find his father dead.

"And you have no idea how it happened? None at all?"

"No sir... I think that I was responsible somehow, though." Ranma sighed.

"Just a second, Ranma. Kenzan, could you please prepare tea for our guest?" He waited till the girl had left the room. He nodded to Ranma. "Explain, please."

"Well," Ranma started, "when I woke up I hurt. I later noticed I was covered in blood, but it wasn't my own. I've thought about it, I am pretty sure that the gashes that were in the walls and on my father were spaced like my fingers... Konatsu-san, I am pretty sure that somehow I killed my dad."

At that moment Konatsu returned carrying tea for three. Her father waited until she had served them before he spoke again. "Ranma, let me tell you what I know about the Neko-ken. It is a nearly invincible technique, but to learn it exacts a terrible price on the initiate. It sounds like you know the Neko-ken, Ranma. I am sorry to say, you are probably right about how your dad expired." He stopped, and shook his head. He look Ranma in the eyes, and continued, "Are you afraid of cats, Ranma?"

Ranma jumped. "C-ccats? Where?"

"As I expected." Konatsu sighed. "What happens, Ranma, is the trainee becomes deathly afraid of cats, like you are." He raised his hand to stifle Ranma's protests. "That does not make you any less, Ranma, just unfortunate. Anyway, to continue, from what I have been told, at a certain point your fear of cats drives you insane, and you _become _a cat in your mind to escape. That is when you become the most dangerous. Do you understand?"

"Not really, Konatsu-san. Why am I dangerous if I am a cat?" Ranma asked.

"You become an unstoppable fighting machine. Do you know what ki and chi are, Ranma?" The boy nodded. Beside Ranma, Kenzan was listening raptly. Konatsu-san pointed to both children. "Imagine that all your reflexes, all your power, your speed is raised to invincible levels. No one can stop you. Judging from what you told me earlier, it seems you probably have the ability to make claws out of pure ki. Ki, Ranma, can cut through anything."

Ranma's face became pale. "Is that what cut up the walls and my... dad?"

Konatsu-san sighed. "Most likely, Ranma. I was told that when faced with a fighter in the throes of the Neko-ken, the worst thing you can do is fight. You have three choices; you run, you calm the fighter down, or you die. I think your dad probably tried to fight."

Both kids were silent.

"That should give you an idea of how powerful the Neko-ken is, kids. A six year old boy with only the rudiments of martial arts training could take out one of the best martial artists in Japan."

Konatsu looked at Ranma. Ranma merely looked at the ground, struggling to hold back the tears that had found their way to his eyes. Unexpectedly, Ranma felt himself embraced in a hug from Konatsu.

"Ranma, you're still my friend. So you are afraid of cats. I'll just make sure you never see any, okay?"

Ranma smiled. "Thanks, Konatsu." He turned back to Konatsu-san, and asked, "So, what do I do about it?"

"I don't know Ranma. Nobody has been trained in the Neko-ken in hundreds of years. There is a reason it was banned. Forgive me for saying it, but your father was an idiot to do that to you. He paid with his life. You have a couple things you can do. I guess you can work on overcoming your fear of cats, and that should keep you out of the madness of the Neko-ken. Or, you can try and master it. For that, I can't help you."

"You've taught me enough already. Thank very much, Konatsu-san." Ranma placed both of his hands in front of him, and bowed till his forehead touched the backs of his hands. Konatsu-san bowed back as much as he could from his sitting position.

"Ranma, would you like to stay here for a few days? I am sure Kenzan would love the company, and I for one would like to talk to you some more."

Ranma looked up at Konatsu-san, then over to Konatsu. The girl was grinning from ear to ear, and looking at Ranma enthusiastically. Ranma smiled. "Yeah, I would like that."

It took no time at all for Ranma and Konatsu to gather his stuff and head back. When they returned, Konatsu-san had fallen asleep. As Ranma was being set up in the guest room, Konatsu step-mother and sisters returned. The meeting was altogether quite unpleasant – Ranma watched as Konatsu was bullied, yelled at, and generally mistreated. Ranma wasn't spared either – together he and Konatsu were forced to clean the house, do the laundry, and cook dinner. If either complained, they received sharp words and sharper blows.

It wasn't all bad, though. In the weeks that followed, Ranma had more fun than he could ever remember, and learned more about the Art than he had at any time previously. Even though the compulsory labor was awful, Ranma and Konatsu sparred every day. Ranma talked to Konatsu-san often, and received many scrolls explaining ninjitsu techniques. Every day, however, Konatsu-san became a little weaker. One evening, while Konatsu was serving her step-mother and sisters, Ranma brought dinner to Konatsu-san.

"Ranma..." Konatsu-san began to cough violently. "I want you to do something for me."

"Yes, Konatsu-san."

"I am dying. I am being poisoned by that devil of a woman I am forced to call my wife."

"What do you mean, Konatsu-san?"

"The marriage was arranged after my wife died. This woman is just trying to claim my family heritage. Last laugh is on her, though. The heritage she wants so desperately lives on in Kenzan. She doesn't know, and still continues to poison me, hoping to get me to reveal our clan's secrets."

"What secrets? Why are they important."

"They aren't really. I've told her, and she things I am just holding out."

"Can't you stop her? Why do you let her?"

"She will continue to poison me regardless of what I tell her. Anyway, I wish to join my wife in the other world, Ranma. I am lonely and selfish.. But, I don't want Kenzan to suffer under that harriden. I beg you - take him with you when you continue your journey, please."

"Him? You mean your daughter?"

"No, I mean my son. Big secret, isn't it? Kenzan is the last in a line of famous kuno-ichi. He has the potential to be the best in one hundred generations, even though he is male. He knows the foundations of our Art, and it is up to him now. I won't last a week." Konatsu-san weakly gestured to the tokonoma in the corner. "You will find a letter there addressed to Kenzan. Take it to him, and pass it to him on my death. Please."

"I... I will, Konatsu-san."

"Thank you, Ranma. Take care of each other."

Konatsu-San managed to hold on for eight days before he lapsed into a coma. Ranma gave Konatsu the letter as he had promised. Konatsu read the letter while crying. He continued to sob as he packed his bags. He carefully folded the letter from his father and packed it as well. Standing up, he put his pack on slowly and carefully strapped his katana around his waist.

"Let's go, Ranma. I have a lot to do before I can avenge my father."


	4. Right Speech

Chapter 3.

2 years later

"Ranma, explain to me again how you thought this was a good idea?

"Ah, shut your hole, Konatsu." Ranma sighed. He looked down at the map in his hands again, but he knew they were hopelessly lost. China was a big country, and right now, the two of them were lost smack dab in the middle of it. "When we find this village, you will thank me. They are supposed to have incredible techniques we could learn."

"We've been looking for a village for two days, moron. I am so going to make you suffer later."

"Hey, you know life is suffering. Your desire to arrive is what's making this such a trial for you."

"You start pulling that Buddhist shit on me and I will kick your ass."

"You wish...You ain't ever been able to kick my ass." Ranma looked around. Glancing back at the map, he looked at the compass he was holding and checked their bearings one more time. It was a pretty meaningless act. They were lost in the middle of a densely wooded area, and with out some sort of geographical feature to obtain bearings from, Ranma had no idea where on the map he was.

"Give me that map." Konatsu grabbed the map from Ranma's hands. "Where do you roughly think we are?"

"Here." Ranma pointed out the spot on the map.

"What and we are headed north-east, right?"

"Right. I hoped we would see the ridgeline by now, but these damnable trees are blocking everything." Ranma growled in frustration, and kicked the nearest tree as hard as he could. The trunk shattered violently, sending birds scrambling to take to the air and showering the pair with leaves. The tree crashed to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.

Konatsu coughed out, "Well, that was productive. Feel better, Ranma? Besides, what did that tree ever do to you? You're just piling up bad karma."

"Shove it. Let's keep moving. That village of Amazons has got to be around here somewhere."

Konatsu sighed.

Ku lon sat on the roof of the guard tower that stood over the main entrance to the Amazon village. Taking a slow drag on her pipe, she swept her gaze over the valley that harbored Jusenkyo, past Jusendo to the woods just beyond the village. A flock of startled birds took to the air just beyond the edge of the forest. She watched as a small cloud of dust swirled up into the new hole in the forest canopy. "Hmm... Wonder what caused that." Ku lon tapped her pipe out on her shoe, ground the embers to dust, and hopped off the roof to the platform below. Ku lon continued to stare off to the woods as she motioned to the gate guard. "Ring the bell and warn the guards, I have a feeling something is coming this way."

"Right away, Elder."

"Shhh... Konatsu, you hear that? Sounds like... Like a temple bell! I think we might have found the village."

"'bout time. How far away you figure?"

"Maybe two, one and a half kilometers. Feel like a little jog?" Ranma grinned wickedly.

"You know what, I do... Tag, you're it!"

"Why you little... Hey! No fair, you can't use the split body technique! I haven't learned that yet! Come back here!"

"Make me!"

"You asked for it!" Laughing with glee, Ranma leapt to battle.

Ku lon wasn't very worried about the disturbance from the forest. From her vantage point of the guard tower, she could feel two strong battle auras off in the distance. While not insignificant, they could be easily handled by assembled warriors below. All of a sudden, a tree at the edge of the forest exploded. Out of the cloud of dust two young boys emerged, trading furious blows. "Interesting..."

"Ranma?" Konatsu unconsciously dodged a lighting fast combo that would have incapacitated him had it connected. He lashed out in turn.

"What?" Ranma leaned to the side, letting the blows slide by, watching for the feints and follow up blows.

"Don't you think we better wind this down? We seem to have assembled a crowd. We don't want to scare anyone or start a fight unnecessarily..."

"Hmm... Well, shit. And I was just getting warmed up, too."

"Break?"

"Break." With a nod, the two combatants jump away from each other, keeping a careful eye on the other, lest either use the break in concentration as an opening. The two stopped short when several arrows landed in the space they had previously occupied. Ranma turned to Konatsu with a raised eyebrow. "Well, at least we know they are friendly."

"It appears so, Ranma. Perhaps they are upset we forgot to bring them a present?"

Ranma chuckled. "Well, let's go apologize for wrecking their trees."

Ku lon bit off an oath as a few of the younger guards let loose with a flight of arrows. "Hold your fire, you stupid imbeciles. Don't shoot unless I give the order!" Grumbling under her breath, she hopped off the tower platform to the ground. "Aa von, Per fum, come with me. The rest of you, hold tight. I'll go knock these two whelps around a bit and we can go back to our soap operas." A few of the amazons chuckled.

Ku lon headed through the gate to where the two boys were waiting.

"Hey look, seems like someone is coming to meet us."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Ranma, let me do the talking."

"Yeah, sure, what ever."

The Amazon party approached confidently. Leading the party was a shriveled old woman balancing on her cane.

"Can you feel the power radiating off that woman, Konatsu? It's incredible."

"Shh. They are getting near."

Ku Lon stopped just out of reach of either boy. She called out, " Why do you intrude upon the domain of the Amazons? "

Konatsu answered, " Forgive my poor Chinese, but we be two wandering artists looking to gain enlightenment. "

"Japanese?" Cologne asked in perfect Japanese.

Both boys nodded.

"So what brings two little boys like you all the way out here? You obviously aren't out here for your health."

"Well," began Konatsu, "we were hoping to train with the amazons and learn more about the Art."

Ku lon made a snort that sounded like cloth ripping. "Just what makes you think the Amazons would be willing to teach outsiders like you?"

"The Art is all we have." Konatsu nodded towards Ranma. "We are ronin. We both are wandering to perfect the Art."

"You'll never perfect it by wandering, boy. What's your name?"

"I am Konatsu Kenzan, and my friend here is Saotome Ranma. Might we have the pleasure of your name?"

"I am Ku Lon, Elder of the village. You can address me as Elder. It was a pleasure to meet you both, but I can not allow you into my village. I suggest you turn around, and head elsewhere. Don't press the issue. I do this as much for your own well being as ours."

"Elder Ku Lon," Konatsu began, but was cut off abruptly by the elderly matriarch.

"Konatsu, was it? Listen. If you come in this village, chances are you will not leave alive. I watched you two sparring. Coming into this village would be a very bad idea for the two of you. You will likely be attacked, and if you live, you most certainly will never be able to leave. If you truly wish to continue wandering, I suggest you go else where. If you have a death wish, perhaps you can seek out the Musk who inhabit the south end of the Jusenkyo valley."

Ranma suddenly spoke up. "Elder, do you know of the Neko-ken?"

Ku Lon whipped her head around, boring her eyes into Ranma. "Why do you ask, child?"

With a shrug, Ranma stated, "Because I was trained in it."

Ku Lon uttered a few choice curses in Chinese. She continued, "sorry to hear that, but why should that concern the Amazons?"

"I've been looking for years to overcome it. Everyone who had ever heard of it suggested seeking out the help of the Amazons in China. I am here." Ranma knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to the matriarch. "I ask your help, please. I killed a man, Elder. I was not even aware of it, but I woke up, covered in blood, blood on my hands, in my mouth... I need to gain control. If you can help, please don't turn me away."

Ku Lon turned to Konatsu, who was slowly shaking his head. "What about you, child? Where you trained in this technique as well?"

"No, Elder. I have been trying to work with Ranma on controlling it, but twice since I've known him, he has been seized by the Neko-ken. It... terrifies me. I have been spared because he considers me a friend – he looks at me, and runs. When I find him later, he is usually unconscious, surrounded by the remains of his last meal."

"Meal?"

"Ranma likes to... to hunt." Konatsu shuddered. "Only thing I know is that he hunts animals. The remains have been... ravaged too much to tell more that that."

"Hmm.. Your name is Ranma, right? What idiot trained you in this technique?"

"My father, Elder."

"What happened to the man?"

"He was the person I killed. I was six at the time."

Ku Lon furrowed her brows, deep in thought. Turning to her companions, she barked out in Chinese, "Aa Von, Per Fum, leave us. Go back to the village." Ku Lon watched as the two warriors took of in a loping jog towards the front gate. Turning back to the two boys, Ku Lon sighed. "You two present me with a difficult choice. If you really insist on doing this, you must be willing to kill yourselves, to obliterate completely any traces of who you were. You must give up your lives to training. You will agree to follow my orders." Turning to Ranma, she spoke very slowly, and clearly. "And Ranma, if at any point I feel my village is in danger from you, I will kill you with extreme prejudice. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Elder. I do."

"Same goes for you, Konatsu. Do you understand?"

"I do, Elder."

Suddenly, Ku Lon smiled. "First, I want you two to turn around, and head towards that valley you can see over there. You will find a small hut where the valley guide lives. Wait there for me. I will meet you there in thirty minutes. Do not go near the springs for any reason boys, do you understand?"

The two chimed in unison. "Yes Elder."

"If you two want to make it, I suggest you run. Well, what are you waiting for?" Ku Lon cackled as the two took off at a sprint in the direction she pointed.

When Ranma and Konatsu made it to the guide's hut, Ku Lon was already waiting for them.

"Take of your packs, boys." They both complied. "What do you know of this place?"

Ranma spoke first, "We were told that it is a legendary training ground, only used by the most advanced warriors. We were also told to avoid it at all costs."

"Who ever gave you that advice certainly knew what they were talking about. I'll let the guide tell you about the springs. If you would please, sir?"

The Jusenkyo guide spoke up. "Jusenkyo very dangerous training ground. Nobody use anymore because of it." With a sweep of his arms, he pointed to the multitude of pools that dotted the landscape. "Have over one hundred pools, each with own very tragic story. Each pool marks the place where something drown. Now, who ever fall in pool cursed to take shape of first drown victim."

Konatsu and Ranma looked at the guide. "You serious?" Konatsu asked, skeptical.

Ku Lon cut in. "Oh yes boys, he is quite serious."

Ranma pointed to the springs. "So why did you bring us here? If it is so dangerous and tragic, what use is it to us?"

She cackled. "This, boys, is what will allow me to bring you into the village. Guide, where is the Nanniichuan?"

"Spring of Drowned Girl? Why Elder want... Oh, I get. I get. Just follow me, this way, please. Be very careful not to fall off path, please!" The guide carefully picked his way through the springs, stopping by a small pool with a single bamboo pole sticking out of it. "Here it is, Elder. Spring of Drowned Girl. Very tragic story of young girl who drowned in spring 1500 years ago. Now, all who fall in spring take body of young girl."

Ku Lon pointed to the spring. "Ranma, Konatsu. If you want my help, you need to jump in."

"WHAT!?!?!" Both boys exploded at once. Simultaneously, they shouted, "WHY?"

"Because it is the only way I will be able to get you into the village with out having you fight every single female who lives there. The laws of our village are not kind to strangers. If you enter the village as a boy, every single female of marriageable age will challenge you to a fight. If you lose, they will probably kill you. If you win, then, well, you end up married."

Ranma interrupted, "sounds silly. Why do you do that?"

"It's a good way of getting new blood into the tribe," continued Ku Lon. "Now, it isn't much better as a woman. If you win, they will hunt you down and kill you. The advantage is, however, that if you lose, however, they will simply ignore you. Some might even be inclined to teach you. Plus, as a female, I will be able to extend some degree of protection over you that I could not do with you male with out a great deal of suspicion."

"Is it... Is the change permanent, Elder?" Konatsu inquired.

"Reversible. Cold water changes you into your cursed form, hot water to your original for. The curse will stay with you for life, however."

Ranma joined in, "No cure?"

"None." Ku Lon grinned. "However, if you become sufficiently advance at ki manipulation, you can learn to control the curse. It requires absolute control of your ki and massive quantities of the stuff. The reason no one uses this training ground anymore is because it is nearly impossible to do." Ku Lon hopped between the two boys, patting each of them on the shoulder in turn. "The choice is not easy, but it is yours, boys. Take a swim and I can train you, or leave now, and never return."

Ranma mumbled to himself. "Right Resolve is one of the hallmarks of wisdom..."

Ku Lon started and glanced at Ranma. "So is Right Understanding, Ranma. Do you understand my reasons for this?"

"I think so." With that, Ranma, took off his back pack and jumped in the spring. He didn't feel any different when he came to the surface. "You comin' in Konatsu? Water's a little cold, but feels good."

With a sigh, Konatsu started to undress.

"Why are you undressing?"

"Unlike you, Ranma, I don't want to walk around in wet clothes," replied the ninja.

"Look on the bright side, Konatsu! Now you really can be a kuno-ichi!"

"Yeah, yeah. Move over, Saotome. I have to take a bath."

"We start training as soon as you girls get out of the water." Ku Lon walked back towards the guide's hut.

Ku Lon wasn't kidding about the training. The walk back towards the Amazon village involved balance training, which meant attempting to walk back to the village without touching the ground. The Elder gave them each a 4 foot long piece of bamboo only about half an inch thick.

"Don't break it, girls. You have to figure out how to get home on that! See you in a bit! No cheating, now. If you do, I'll know. You won't like what I do to cheaters."

Ranma and Konatsu watched as Ku Lon bounced away on her cane. "How's she doing that?"

"Looks like well have to figure it out, won't we?" Ranma put his pack back on, and climbed on the stick like he had seen Ku Lon do. With a splat, he fell to the ground. "Konatsu, I have a feeling this is going to suck."

"You said it, Ranma."

When they both finally arrived at the village, it was getting close to sundown. They had figured out how to balance after an hour or two of attempts, but the movement part had taken a lot longer. Ranma had also insisted that if they fell, they retrace their steps and start from the beginning.

Ku Lon was waiting at the gate for them. She spoke in Chinese " Took you long enough, girls. What was the hold up? "

Konatsu replied in Japanese, "Ranma insisted we start over when we fell." Suddenly, she found herself on the ground, head ringing from a solid blow to the head from Ku Lon's staff.

Ku Lon waited till Konatsu stood up, and said "This will be the last thing you will here me say in Japanese. If any female, picks a fight with you, you must lose. Do you understand? It is very important."

Ranma looked at Konatsu, who looked back at him through teary eyes.

"Do you girls understand?"

"Yeah, we do."  
"We do what, Students?"

"We understand, Sensei!"  
"Good." She quickly rapped both of the on the head. " From now on, you speak Chinese. Learn quickly, and save yourself some headaches. "

"Ranma, remind me to kill you for this," Konatsu murmured in Japanese, earning another rap on the head. Ranma received one too, just to make things fair.


	5. Right Action

Chapter 4

Herb of the Musk was annoyed. The sources of his annoyance were right in front of him. The reason he was annoyed this time was quite obvious; Lime and Mint, his two hopelessly idiotic bodyguards to be, had thought it was a good idea to bring two thrashing, chained wrapped bundles into the throne room. Not only were the idiots having trouble keeping control of them, but the noise of the chains kept Herb from hearing the explanation the two had concocted for their latest act of stupidity.

Herb had had enough of listening to the pair babble. "So, you two saw two young Amazon women fighting, and decided that you wanted to show them to me, right?"

The Lime and Mint stopped all conversation immediately, and chimed in unison, "that's correct, Herb-sama!"

"So you waited till they had gotten tired, and then ambushed them, correct?"

Again they chimed in unison, "that's correct, Herb-sama!"

"And why did you think this was a good idea?"

Lime and Mint looked at each other, and then at the bundles at their feet. They shrugged their shoulders. "We just liked watching them fight. We thought you might like to see it."

A vein in Herb's forehead popped. "YOU MORONS!!!" Herb's aura flared.

"You might have started a war because you liked to watch them fight?" Herb began to power up a ball of ki in either hand. Slowly advancing on the two, his eyes promised pain. "You are such IDIOTS!!"

"I think we messed up, Lime."

"Probably. Herb-sama seems really mad this time."  
"Think this will hurt?"

"Definitely."

"YOU MORONS!!!"

Ranma continued to struggle as she extended her senses as much as she could, given that she was currently stuffed in a canvas sack. She felt a massive battle aura slowly approaching. Ranma was in a bind. She was gagged; her feet and hands were tied behind her back, and also rather painfully bound together by a short tether, forcing her to bend over backwards, at the point where she looked like an "O" and had no real leverage. Her captors knew how to tie good knots, too.

Herb was pissed. If the huge aura hadn't been a dead give away, Ranma could feel the stone floor beneath her body shudder with each step Herb took towards them. Ranma wondered briefly about Konatsu – She knew her friend had been caught too, and was probably in the same state.

Ranma tried once again to wriggle out of her bonds. She cursed herself getting captured. She was pretty sure nobody would come to her rescue. She and Konatsu had no one to rely on but themselves. In the three years since Konatsu and Ranma had arrived at the Amazon village, only Xian Pu, Ku Lon's great grand-daughter had even bothered to make friends with the two outsiders. Ku Lon had been very clear in that she could never actively intercede on the girls' behalf with out making things even harder on the two.

Outside of the training that Ku Lon put them through, she didn't spend a lot of time with either girl. Unwanted in the village, the two took to studying together and practicing as much as they could. That served two purposes, really. First, it kept them away from the other girls of the village and thus out of fights, and secondly, it allowed them to practice in secret, improving upon the techniques they had been shown. They weren't actually allowed to participate in the training, but they couldn't be kept from watching. Ranma and Konatsu would watch and learn, then go off on their own to train and perfect the techniques.

Being female had certainly thrown the two erstwhile boys for a loop at first. To avoid discovery the two spent a vast majority of their time in their cursed form. The biggest change they noticed was reach and strength. They were shorter, and far weaker than they had been prior to the swim in Jusenkyo. Ranma had worked very hard to make up for the strength deficit, but his reach would always be slightly shorter as a girl. The upside was a marked increase in flexibility, endurance, and speed.

Konatsu was slightly smaller than Ranma, but not by much. What she lacked in height she made up in speed, and her power was nothing to sneer at. Ranma was almost as fast, and a little stronger. Both were probably far stronger than anyone else in their village, but they tried to never let on, because it would be an invitation for fights.

Ku Lon had pulled a rather nasty trick on them at first, hitting a pressure point on the boys that made them hyper sensitive to hot water. She called it the Full-Body Cat's Tongue, and by the time either had been fast enough or strong enough to obtain the cure, they had spent nearly a year in their cursed forms. After a while, they stopped caring. Ranma hadn't been male in almost three months. Konatsu was going on five. The first time Ranma had gotten his period, he freaked. Konatsu was overjoyed at his, though.

They had gone through all the standard training exercises and a lot of the advanced ones as well. They had been through the Kachu Tenshin Amaguri-ken, the Bakusai Tenketsu, ki manipulation techniques, medical studies, botany, magic, and more. Both were quick pupils, and learned the techniques at a rate that astonished their teachers. Ku Lon worked a lot with Ranma on controlling the Neko-ken. He had lost his fear of cats over the three years, but had also lost access to the powers of the technique as well. Ku Lon said that there was no way to master it consciously because it was a flawed technique, but Ranma had his doubts.

Ranma and Konatsu had been training, as usual. They had just spent the morning working on the Hi Ryu Shoten Ha. Both had watched the Flying Dragon Ascension Blast being taught, and had mastered the basics in about a week. Today they were practicing switching between hot and cold ki to manipulate the size and effects of the tornado. By the time Ranma and Konatsu had finished practice, they were both physically exhausted and drained of their ki reserves. The bastards had struck when they had no chance.

Given her current state, if Herb decided to kill either captive, neither would be able to do anything to prevent it. Ku Lon had warned both Ranma and Konatsu to stay away from the Musk, and particularly Herb. Ku Lon had even gone so far as to say she was "a little frightened" by the power Herb possessed. Ranma was scared shitless.

"You are such IDIOTS!!" Ranma was startled by the sheer power of Herb's voice. Even more surprising, Ranma could sense ki laced through Herb's shout, making the air hum with menace. Ranma heard her captor say, "I think we messed up, Lime."

"Probably. Herb-sama seems really mad this time."  
"Think this will hurt?"

"Definitely."

Gritting her teeth, Ranma pulled on the tether until she managed to touch her feet. Her lower back and shoulders protested against the abuse, but she ignored the pain, concentrating on feeling the knots that held her fast.

Herb was standing right next to her. Ranma's senses screamed, overloaded by the sheer immensity of the ki radiating from Herb. Ranma worked frantically at the bindings, trying to keep her movements as small as possible. Suddenly, Ranma felt a whoosh of air and a huge surge in Herb's ki, and surprisingly, the sound of her captors being pummeled.

"You MORONS!!!" A series of sickening thuds resounded in the hall. "How... Many... Times... Do... I... Have... To... Tell... You? NO... KIDNAPPINGS!!!" Each break in Herb's sentence was punctuated by more thuds, crunching noises, and muffled groans.

She finally managed to loosen the knot to the tether, and groaned in relief as she was able to bring her knees forward to her stomach. Curled in a fetal position, she began frantically working at the ropes binding her feet. Her feet came free as the beating continued. Hands still tied, she worked the gag free, and began tearing at the knots binding her wrists together with her teeth.

Ranma was about to work her hands free when a sword blade sliced the canvas sack open along its length. Blinking from the sudden change in light, Ranma looked up at Konatsu. Without a word, Ranma extended her hands to allow Konatsu to cut the bindings.

"Idiots forgot to take my sword off. All I had to do was get out of that damnable position they had tied me in." Konastu turned towards where Herb was still busy abusing his lackeys and crouched low, sword held parallel to the ground against her forearm. "You alright?"  
"Yeah. Thanks. I owe you."

"Owe me later. Let's try and get out of here."

No sooner had Konatsu uttered these words than Herb turned and saw them for the first time. Herb paused for a moment, delivered a final swift kick into the ribs of Musk on the floor, and with a flourish of his cape addressed Ranma and Konatsu.

"You don't look like Amazons. You dress the part, but you look different." Herb walked forward. Ranma noticed Konatsu tensing, poised to strike. "You might as well put that blade away." Herb's eyes flicked towards the drawn weapon. "It won't kill me, and I might get offended if it stays bare too long."

Konatsu slowly stood up. With a brief glance at Ranma, she sheathed his weapon and dropped his hands. She did not relax, though. Ranma also stood, and adopted a similar posture. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Konatsu, she was ready for action, but did not reveal it from her stance.

Herb stopped, and evaluated them both. "Hmm.. Seems those idiots were right. You would be fun to watch fight. Seems you both hide a lot of skill."

Ranma merely nodded her head. Konatsu gave a little half-bow, never taking her eyes off of Herb.

"I must apologize for those two louts. They are morons, and often do not think about the consequences of their actions. I am convinced they share half a brain between them." Herb sighed. "They are excellent fighters though..." He continued to ponder, tapping his fingers on his chin. After a while, he continued. "I am sorry that this has happened, you may leave unmolested."

"That's it? Dismissed just like that?" Ranma burst out. Konatsu moved to hush Ranma, but he was still wired from the adrenaline pumping in his veins.

"What would you have me do, Amazon? Bow and scrape? Do you expect some sort of compensation? It is enough that you live. No harm was done. I have already apologized. Do not make me regret doing so."

"You arrogant son of ..." Ranma cracked his knuckles.

"Oh, a little bit of fire, perhaps?" Herb chuckled darkly. The air behind him began to darken and crackle, alive with his aura and a palpable sense of menace.

Konatsu intervened, placing herself between Herb and Ranma. "Ranma," she whispered, "this might be a great opportunity. Calm down or you'll blow it." Ranma sighed and relaxed.

"Damn it, why do you always have to be right?"

"Because I'm smarter and cuter. Apologize to Herb."

Ranma stepped out from behind Konatsu. With a short jerky bow, she mumbled, "I am sorry, Price Herb... I am simply upset about the recent events." Ranma looked over to see Konatsu give her an approving nod. This did nothing to improve Ranma's mood, however.

"Accepted. Your distress is understandable. I will have some of my guards escort you out of the kingdom."

Konatsu hesitantly spoke up. "Actually, Prince Herb, we do have a strange request. We are looking to train. As you mentioned, we are not native Amazons. We are wandering Artists who have been adopted by the tribe."

Herb raised an eyebrow. He motioned for Konatsu to continue.

"The whole reason we wander is to improve in martial Arts. The Amazons will never accept us as a true member, and so..." Konatsu grimaced and tightened the sash around her waist. "We are shunned. Except for Elder Ku Lon, they teach us the bare minimum."

"I can not imagine the why the Amazons extending any courtesies to begin with." Herb walked past the pair to sit on the throne in the middle of the room.

Konatsu pointed at Ranma. "It's because she managed to convince Elder Ku Lon to train her."

A ghost of a smile crossed Herbs lips. "A curious arrangement. How?"

I know a forbidden technique that I don't know how to control, Ranma wanted to say. "Because I made it clear I would be willing to do anything for the training."

"I imagine that you are dealt with quite harshly?" Again, the hints of a smile played across Herb's features.

Ranma crossed her arms and nodded. "Because we are outsiders, we have no real protection from their laws. If we get attacked, we have to run or throw the match. To win is to invite death. I hate losing." Licking her lips, Ranma ventured, "the other thing is that neither of us is really a woman. Except for the village Elder, nobody knows this."  
Herb looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Konatsu and Ranma looked at each other, then at Herb. "Jusenkyo."

Herb paused to think, and nodding to nobody in particular, he suddenly barked over his shoulder, "LIME!! MINT!!! Fetch chairs and refreshments for our guests." Herb hesitated, "and HOT water as well." Satisfied, he turned back to face his guests. "You interest me. Let us talk; perhaps we can make mutually beneficial arrangements."

In short order Lime and Mint limped into the room, and motioned for servants to set up a table for refreshments. Cushions were brought, which both Konatsu and Ranma sank into with a sigh of relief. As the service was being set up, Herb and the pair exchanged pleasantries, and made formal introductions. A servant brought forth a tea pot of hot water and carefully set it on the table between Herb and the girls.

"I must satisfy my curiosity. Forgive me." With that, Herb rose from his throne, picked up the pot of hot water, and poured the contents over the two youths. Herb grunted as the transformation took place, faster than the eye could see. Two young girls in the first blush of womanhood had been replaced by two thirteen year old Japanese males. Herb blinked as the two began to stretch.

"Man, that feels good. Been months since I've been a guy." Ranma let out a contented sigh. He smiled as he heard Konatsu's echoing sigh next to him. "No matter how comfortable I feel in my other body, it feels great to get back to this form. It's like slipping on a favorite pair of pants."

"Indeed? How long have you born the burden of Jusenkyo?"

"Hmm... 'Bout three years now." Ranma sensed Konatsu nodding.

"How did it happen?" Herb asked. "Even though we live so close to the pools, we do not often see its victims. Most run away in terror, and are soon lost to the surrounding forests."

"Actually," Konatsu began, "we jumped in voluntarily. It was the only way Elder Ku Lon would agree to teach us."

"The fact she would agree at all surprises me. I know of her. She has had numerous confrontations with my father. Not a woman to be trifled with."

"You're telling me." Ranma was interrupted by a servant offering a platter of various fruits.

"Help your self." Herb took a bunch of grapes. "If there is anything in particular you desire, let me know. Please, continue your story."  
Ranma thanked the prince, and began telling his story. Konatsu joined in, correcting details, and the two began alternating. Konatsu would speak and Ranma would pick up where he left off. Herb constantly asked questions, some about the beginning of their journey together and in particular about the last three years with the Amazons. Herb was very interested in the training methods of the Amazons, and what the two boys had been subjected to. Ranma however, never mentioned the Neko-ken. Konatsu noticed. He looked askance at Ranma, but also never brought it up in conversation.

During a pause in the conversation, Konatsu asked, "Prince Herb, let me apologize in advance lest I offend, but why are you so interested in the Amazons?"

Herb grinned. "Know thy enemies, Konastu. They are a secretive bunch. This is not the first time Lime and Mint have kidnapped a lone hapless Amazon." He reached forward and took an apple from the low table in front of him. "However, to the woman, they fight tooth and nail until they either escape or we are forced to kill them. Thus, we don't have very reliable information on them or their capabilities." Biting into the apple, he smiled. "This is the first chance I have had to talk with an 'Amazon,' and I am learning more about them than I have ever known."

"I am sure they feel the same about the Musk. I do know they are frightened of you." Ranma accepted the glass of tea offered by yet another servant.

"The Amazons have a great deal of lore concerning the battle prowess of the Musk," Konatsu said. "If even half of the legends are true, then the legends speak of formidable arts, indeed."

"Is that so? What legends are these, exactly?" Again, the ghost of a smile appeared on Herbs face.

"That you are descendants of animals. And that the ruling line is the offspring of a dragon. They also say that the Musk have powers and abilities that are beyond human, like unbelievable strength, and the power of flight, for example."

Herb did smile this time. It wasn't pretty. "Interesting. They know far more about us than we do of them."  
Ranma choked on his tea. "You mean that's all true?"

"Mostly, yes," Herb said. "I however, haven't mastered flight yet. My father is still teaching me."

Ranma blurted out automatically, "Think we could learn?"

"Perhaps, Ranma. We shall see." Herb replied.

Shortly afterwards, Herb stood. He bade the two to stay for dinner that evening. Summoning a servant table, he ordered them showed to quest quarters in the palace. Both boys followed, taking in their surroundings. Konatsu remarked on how few people they had seen but the servants. Ranma nodded, continuing to survey his surroundings. Finally, the servant showed them the room they would be staying. Ranma waited until the servant departed until speaking.

"Konatsu, did you notice Herb's eyes?"

"Besides being red? Yes. I couldn't place them, though."

"I did. They look like a cat eyes. Vertical slits. I don't know why he was so interested in Amazon techniques, but if the Musk have evil intentions, we might be in serious trouble."

Konatsu troubled look mirrored Ranma's feelings. A servant arrived, halting any further conversation.

"Lord Herb requests your presence at dinner in two hours. If you would like to bath, I have been instructed to show you to the bathing house."

"Let's talk after dinner, Ranma."

After the bath, a servant arrived and dropped of a note and several packages. The note turned out to be from Herb. It asked them to both show up to dinner in their female forms, and not to mention the curse to anyone. It also asked them to open the packages for inspection.

The packages held breath-taking sleeveless Chinese dresses, one in blue, and one in red. Golden embroidery emblazoned the hem and neck lines of both, and around the open shoulders. The red dress was emblazoned with fine filigree work that depicted a phoenix rising from the flames across the back, its wings wrapping around the underneath the arms to cross in the front. The blue dress had a dragon sinuously wrapped around the back of the dress over the left shoulder, staring out over the right breast.

After a little discussion, Ranma settled on the blue dress and Konatsu tried the red. Neither dress fit perfectly, but this was rectified in short order. A team of tailors rushed in. After a number of questions, measurements, and pins, the dresses were removed and hustled out. The tailors returned after about an hour, and the dresses were tried on again for the second fitting. After a few minor adjustments, the tailors were satisfied, and left. A servant showed promptly to escort the pair to dinner.

Dinner turned out to be an extravagant affair. The event was held outdoors under a giant, soaring canopy. A servant led Konatsu and Ranma to the event. As Konatsu passed the canopy, she surreptitiously fingered the fabric. It was made completely of silk. Four banquet tables were laid out parallel, each capable to seating thirty and filled to capacity. Perpendicular to the banquet tables an unoccupied table sat, at the center of which was a stately chair ornately worked with carved dragons winding around the back of the chair. Servants bustled back and forth, filling goblets and escorting guests to their seats. The arriving guests were all attired in colorful and luxurious silks and velvets, creating a feast for the eyes.

Ranma stopped short as she caught sight of one of the guests. He looked distinctly like a tiger, with pointy ears and short orange fur with faint black strips adorning his face. All around, Ranma noticed people with distinctly animalistic features. One man looked like a wolf, another looked like a boar, and there a panda. Ranma heard Konatsu's sharp inhalation. Turning, she saw why. Behind her, an entourage was entering the canopy walking towards the head table.

Herb led the group floating three feet above the ground, not walking at all. Lime and Mint followed closely, leading a pack of courtiers who looked only vaguely animalistic. The group filed into the canopy, and worked their way to the head table. Each courtier stood behind a chair, except for Herb, who floated above the center throne. The chairs next to him were unoccupied.

With a ki enhance voice that carried to the far reaches of the canopy with startling clarity Herb spoke. "My father cannot join us today due to pressing business at Jusendo. However, he bade I preside in his stead. Would our honored guests from the Joketsuzo please join us?"

A servant bowed before Ranma and Konatsu. "Honored guests, if you would please follow me?" The servant led the pair up the head table, to chairs on either side Herb. When Ranma and Konatsu were in place behind the chairs, Herb spoke again.

"Let us welcome the emissaries from the Joketsuzo. Everyone raise a glass!" Servants filtered through the guests, offering goblets for the toast. When all the guests had a mug, Herb rose his glass and spoke. "To renewed relations between the two tribes. Welcome! Let us celebrate!"

With a guttural cry, the assemble guests roared approval, and took long draughts from their mugs. Ranma and Konatsu did the same. The strength of the drink brought tears to Konatsu's eyes, but he handled it better than Ranma, who was currently trying to suppress a coughing fit.

Herb chuckled. Dropping the ki enhancements of his voice, he murmured to Ranma, "it is strong, but it grows on you quickly." Once again he turned back to the assembled crowd. "Let us eat for now, and speeches can be made when the belly is sated and the mind ready for discourse! Please, sit and enjoy!"

Another roar of approval rose from the crowd. Herb touched down to the ground, and the guests all sat. The meal began in earnest, with servants working the crowds, plying the diners with the first course of a chilled soup, lightly spiced and delicately balanced.

Herb sat, bidding the pair to do so as well. When they had finally done so, Herb spoke softly so that his voice wouldn't carry beyond the three. "Forgive me for doing so, but I have led people to believe you are an emissary from the Amazons, seeking renewed diplomatic relations and trade."

"Why?"

"The answer was simple, Konatsu. If the people believe you are here on a good will mission, they will be likely to be less hostile towards you. Plus, I genuinely wish to establish good relations between the Amazons and Musk."

"I thank you for being so frank, Prince Herb, but I am confused. Why are relations so strained to begin with?"

"The answer, Ranma, is that the Amazons have long memories, as do the Musk. How much do you know of our history?"  
Ranma thought carefully back to discussions with Ku Lon about the Musk. After a few seconds, he offered. "Honestly, next to nothing Prince Herb. The Elder simply told us to avoid you, if possible."

Herb nodded. "As I said, the Amazons have long memories, and an even longer history. The short and simple of it was the Musk were once Amazons."

Konatsu and Ranma looked at each other from the opposite sides of Herb. "How is that possible, Prince Herb?"

"I think a brief history lesson is necessary to understand. The amazons were not always a matriarchal society. Nobody is sure, but they came to this valley probably somewhere between 3500 and 3000 years ago." Herb paused to take a drink. "At that time, they were nothing more than a group of refugees, fleeing persecution from the group of peoples who would become the Persians. After settling here, they set up a society dedicated to defending themselves from future attacks, slowly creating the martial society they are today."

Konatsu turned this over in his mind. "Did the start of the Musk lead to the creation of the Matriarchal society?"

Herb raised an eyebrow. "Correct. At that time, about one thousand four hundred years ago, the Amazons of that time had a democratic system of electing a leader, and the leader elect at that time happened to be a rather domineering female. A group of male amazons dedicated to incorporating the powers of animals into their art were enraged at the election results, thinking that the election had been rigged. In protest, they left the compound in droves, and became enamored of the possibilities of Jusenkyo. Coincidentally, they called themselves the Musk." Herb stopped speaking as a servant served the soup. When the service was finished, he continued.

"They vowed to erase any female Amazon influence from their children. However, they couldn't have any children without Amazons. Here in lay the rub." Herb lifted a spoonful of soup to his mouth. "This is excellent soup, by the way. You really should try it. Where was I? Oh yes... Seeking to be completely independent of the female Amazons, they captured animals to use the spring of the drowned woman for brides. "

Ranma jumped in, "it must have been something more than that though. What ended up making the division complete?" Ranma hadn't even touched his soup, enthralled by the history. Konatsu was dutifully eating away.

"My ancestors were brutal. I do not condone what was done, but it is ancient history. In the end, it was Jusenkyo that led to the final split. The problem with the animals turned women was that through the workings of Jusenkyo magic they didn't stay female long enough to impregnate them." Herb sighed. A servant appeared with anxious look on his face. Herb waved him away.

"In order to get past the fact the women kept changing back to animals, the men of the Musk decided to raid the Amazon storehouse of treasures, seeking two in particular. One was the Chusuiton, and the other was the Kaisuifu. The Chusuiton would lock the animals in their cursed form, and after they had given birth, the Kaisuifu would reverse the change, allowing them to return to their animal form to be released back to the wild."

Insight struck Ranma. "They started a war, didn't they?"

Herb nodded. "The Musk weren't content to steal just those two things. Using male agents on the inside of the compound, they staged a raid on the treasury. They got greedy, and in successive raids against the compound, managed to steal about half of the accumulated treasures. The Amazon women were furious. They began hunting members of the Musk for extermination, because of their crimes against women and the theft."

The second round of food was served, momentarily bringing a halt to the conversation. It was a simple fair of a soft, delicate cheese and pungent root that neither Ranma nor Konatsu had tried before. The combination of sharp root and soft cheese was stunning, and both could hardly contain their delight. Herb was pleased.

The main meal arrived shortly afterwards. Several whole boars on spits were wheeled under the canopy, and while they watched the meat was dressed and served. All conversation halted as eating commenced. After some time, Herb pushed his plate back and continued the story.

"The war was long and brutal. Both sides committed many atrocities, but in the end, there was no clear victor. The Amazon male population was decimated by the war. Those males that survived were constantly suspect of being traitors and spies for the Musk. As a result, the males of the Amazons have been treated as second class citizens ever since."

Konatsu broke in over a mouthful of boar. "And I bet that is where the origin of the laws regarding outsiders came from, as well."

Herb nodded. "Without doubt."

"So basically," Ranma ventured, "As a result of events some fourteen hundred years in the past, the Amazons distrust and avoid the Musk?"

"That and random kidnappings those two louts Lime and Mint perpetrate, yes. But the one incident that still has them riled was when my father and I killed a hunting party of Amazons some fifty years ago."

Konatsu spat a mouthful of boar across the table, neatly onto the plate of a noble at one of the other banquet tables. She had the courtesy to blush, at least.

The dinner had ended and the deserts were being served. The guest began pounding the table, demanding a speech from the 'visiting ambassadresses" of the Amazons. Konatsu and Ranma both stood, and delivered short, diplomatic speeches that were carefully devoid of actual content but seemed to satisfy the assembled company. Herb nodded his approval. After dinner Herb and the two girls were walking around the grounds, continuing the earlier discussion.

Ranma couldn't believe it. "You killed Amazons fifty years ago? How old are you?"

Herb grimaced. "Yes, I did. It was an unfortunate situation of us or them situation. My father and I were hunting, and we stumbled upon a large hunting party. Before either of us could back away or even speak, the Amazons attacked. We had no choice to fight. The whole engagement lasted only a matter of moments before the Amazons backed off. But the damage was done."

He sighed, and looked towards the sky. "The problem is that my father and I fight with weapons made of ki. They can tear through body armor like paper. It didn't take much to decimate the group. Ku Lon was a member of that Party. She survived, obviously, and has been suspicious of us ever since." He snorted.

"As for how old I am, I will be turning eighty shortly." He smiled. "Because of the draconian blood that flows through my blood, I age slower than most mortals. In real terms, I am just reaching adolescence. Almost the same age as you, in fact."

Konatsu whistled. "So why do you need us, Prince Herb?"

"Because if either my father or I send emissaries to the Amazons, they are shot at and sent home with out hearing our apologies. You both however, are Amazons, even if only honorary. You have a much better chance of making our plea heard."

"Seems like you are risking a lot just for an apology," Ranma said.

"It is more than that, Ranma. The Musk are shrinking. We long ago stopped using Jusenkyo for our women, and as a result there are more men than women. The Amazons have the opposite problem."

Konatsu laughed. "You want us to function as go-betweens?" She paused to catch her breath, "and if we agree to do this? We are risking a lot, the least of which may be our lives."

"You will always be welcome here. If you do this, beyond just my thanks and the various gifts you will receive, I will offer you opportunities to train with the Musk. By the way, I neglected to tell you both how stunning you look in those dresses."

This brought both girls up short. Herb threw back his head and laughed.


	6. Right Action, continued

Ranma dodged a ki blast from Herb, and launched himself into the air. Herb had anticipated this, and prepared a nasty surprise from the ground. While Herb was one hell of a fighter and damn tough, he wasn't very imaginative, and that was the one area that Ranma could always take him. Ranma waited until Herb's follow up blast was about to impact, and used that exact moment to replace his body with the log he had hidden in his clothes. Slipping out of his robes in an instant, he was on the ground and pummeling Herb for all he was worth before Herb had even registered the miss.

Herb recovered quickly, but the damage was done. He launched himself in the air, away from the beating, only to be stunned by a different Ranma pummeling him from above. Not only had he slipped the blast, he had divided himself using a ninjitsu technique he picked up from Konatsu. Herb crashed to the ground, into the waiting fists of the first body clone. While Ranma couldn't hit as hard with his body split, he certainly could keep up a relentless assault, and that was all he needed.

"I yield!" Herb threw up his hands. "I yield!"

Ranma backed off, and his body clone sank back into him. He shuddered. It was very draining to use that technique, but as Herb had found out, could be quite effective. From the sidelines Konatsu and Ku Lon, and several members of the Musk began clapping. As always happened when Herb and Ranma sparred, a small crowd gathered to watch. They inevitable split the matches 50/50, but Ranma didn't mind. He won today. Tomorrow he would probably lose, but that just made the next match even more entertaining.

Ranma walked over to Herb and offered a hand. With a grin, Herb accepted it and was pulled to his feet.

"I never thought you to pull that move, Ranma. Excellent, very well done. Konatsu's cunning is finally wearing off on you." Herb looked at Konatsu, but she returned his glance with a frosty glare. Herb sighed.

"You two fighting again?"

"Yes."

"About Jusenkyou?"

"What else?"

"Why don't you just do it, Herb? You've been talking about this for almost six months now. You know that it would make him happy."

"I don't think I am ready for that, yet Ranma. Konatsu might be very comfortable with both sides of himself, but I…" Herb floundered for a minute as he watched the female Konatsu leaving the grounds. "I maybe ready soon, but not yet."

Ranma also watched the retreating Konatsu, and began stretching and running through slow kata to cool down. Herb joined him. "I've said it before Herb, and will again. He'd marry you in a heart beat if you could just get over the fact she's a he. You know, Konatsu's a woman half the time."

"But it is the other half of the time that concerns me."

"Yeah, but that wouldn't be a problem with Jusenkyo. Hell, with the amount of ki you generate, you can learn to control the curse in no time." Ranma stopped his kata, and walked to a near by pool. Splashing himself with water, her remained male for a few seconds, then slowly morphed into his female self. "Hell, it only took six years, and I am finally beginning to gain control of it. I can at least fight of the change half the time. I can't change at will all the time yet, but I know I will be able to, soon. Maybe in a few more years. I know Konatsu is at least as far along as I am."

Herb still looked dubious.

"Look, Herb. Konatsu's in love with you. I know you love him. Your one hell of a guy, and I could think of no one better for my brother than you. It's been more that two years already. Taking a dip is one way to solve some of the awkward questions that may arise."

"But don't you think it is wrong, Ranma?"

"Not at all. My doctrine says that removing yourself from a source of pleasure is suffering. The way I see it, the two of you are suffering needlessly. Giving into craving can be wrong, but I've never seen any texts that say that enjoying pleasure is wrong, but only that excess is. I don't see a problem in simply satisfying a need if done with the right frame of mind."

"You confuse me, Ranma. Anyway, I do not wish to discuss the any more today. Shall we work on your training?" Herb walked to the center of the ground they had been sparring on. Sitting in a lotus position, he was joined by the captain of his guards, Basil. The captain in question had a distinct feline aura, accentuated by the light orange fur and black stripes that adorned the bare skin of his arms and face. Before the captain sat, he removed his body armor and laid it carefully to the side.

"We have made great progress here, Ranma," said the captain. "Are you ready for the final step?"  
Ranma nodded, and joined the pair on the ground.

"Clear your mind, then warrior. Let us command the cat, and control it today."

As Ranma tried to meditate, but for some reason her mind kept wandering back to the first time she and Konatsu had returned to the Amazons after meeting with Herb. They had spent nearly a week in Herbs company, talking about the various goals that the Musk would like to accomplish visa vie the Amazons. Together, the three drafted a document and brought it to Herb's father for approval. He was quite upset with Herb, but after a lengthy debate the trio managed to convince him to add his seal of approval to the letter and personal apology to the matriarch.

Things had not gone smoothly upon their return. Ku Lon at first was glad they had survived, then livid at the pair for having been captured in the first place. She had put them through a brutal training regimen that left them unable to move for days.

She eventually calmed down though, and talked the events over with the pair. She was interested in their observations about the Musk – how many people did they see, what state of animalism the general populous had, strengths, and weakness. The letters from Herb and his father intrigued her. While not allowing herself to hope, she crafted a careful response after consulting several other respected figures in the village.

And so it went. Konatsu and Ranma became little more than glorified messenger boys for a few months. If Ranma was with the Musk, Konatsu was with Amazons, explaining the latest missive, and vice versa. After many miles and a flurry of epistles, Ku Lon and the other elders agreed to meet with the Prince and King of the Musk. Under a white flag of parley, the two parties sat down and began hammering out terms.

There had been a number of set backs, and talks had broken down more than once. One of the major points of contention was the Amazonian treasures. The Amazons still felt that even after fourteen hundred years the items in question were rightfully theirs. The Musk, of course had other ideas. Surprisingly, the King of the Musk offered forth a suggestion that broke the stalemate. He offered to allow the Elders into the collection to catalogue it with the eventual goal of consolidation in a new archive independent of either tribe.

The concession had garnered a great deal of good will towards the Musk, and the Elders responded in kind. Young men of the Musk began to visit the village with immunity from and impunity to the Kiss of Marriage rule. In three years, there had already been almost a dozen weddings in both kingdoms.

"Ranma, you aren't concentrating," the captain said sharply.

Sheepishly, Ranma returned to the task at hand. Ranma took deep even breaths, concentrating on his hara, or stomach, the source of his body's ki. He had been through this particular exercise many times. Soon he was in the mindless state, the mind of no mind, perfectly aware and not aware at all.

"Now Ranma, concentrate on your heart beat."

Ranma heard, and shifted his focus towards his heart. He wasn't aware of how he did it, but soon he was listening to his heart, all his attention focused on it. Lub dub. He felt the valve between the atrium and ventricle open, the atrium contract, and blood rush in to the ventricle. Lub dub. The valves closed, and then ventricle contracted, forcing the blood out of the heart, and started the cycle again. Lub dub. He listened and watched for countless cycles, fascinated anew with every beat, as he always was when he meditated.

"Pull your attention from your heart and now go to the recesses of your mind."

Ranma pulled his attention away, longing to return to the comfort of the awareness but at the same time looking forward to what lay ahead. His awareness raced along his arteries, following the flow of blood to his brain, into the capillaries and finally along the very synapses of his mind. As quick as lightning his awareness flashed from one synapse to the next, deeper into his mind. Finally, there was no where else to go. He had arrived at the core of his personality.

Ranma had been here many times. Ever since the first treaty had been signed affirming goodwill between the Musk and the Amazons, he had begun training with Herb and the royal guards almost daily. When Herb had learned of the Neko-ken, he immediately introduced Ranma to the captain who now led him through the exercise.

The captain had explained, "Ranma, the Neko-ken was invented by the Musk. Before they broke from the Amazons, and before they realized that the same results could be achieved through breeding, they attempted to create the 'ultimate fighting technique,' which you know as the Neko-ken. Unfortunately, when the technique is 'learned' and not inherited, as it is with us Musk, it does substantial psychic damage."

"What happens?" Ranma had been afraid to know, and at the same time thrilled to finally have insight into this burden.

"If the person is young enough when he learns it, the attributes that the Neko-ken attempts to imprint are written into the very core of the person's psyche. Strength, speed, flexibility, and devastating ki control all become yours, at a terrible, terrible cost of lost of control. Loss of control is equivalent to a failed technique. Our ancestors quickly abandoned it when they learned a better way through selective breeding."

"So what do I do? If it is imprinted into my very core, can I ever consciously harness the power?"

"You can, but it is not easy. The easiest part is finding it. Getting it to accept your mastery, however, is the real battle. Even mastery will not make you invincible. But it certainly makes you an extremely powerful fighter, much like Prince Herb."

"Does any of the training I have done with Ku Lon help at all? I have mastered my fear of cats."

"That is useless, mostly. The meditation techniques will be helpful only for the first part, but not in the actual mastery of the Neko-ken itself."

"Then how do I do master it, Sifu?"

"That, Ranma, you must figure out for yourself. It is different for everyone. Some say it is a matter of exertion of will, others say an act of forgiveness. It all depends on the circumstances in which you first were introduced to the pit. I can only show you where you must go."

Ranma had practiced meditation and the various kata of the Neko-ken that the captain had given him now for over two years. He had mastered the kata long ago, and examined his psychic core many times. Nothing had ever come from the exercise, though. Two long years of frustration and bitterness were all he had to show for his efforts.

In the vast void that was his core, a dark figure came stalking out of the blackness. As dark as the night, a large powerful predatory feline slinked towards Ranma. This had happened many times before, and like previous encounters, the cat ignored him after a cursory inspection. Chasing the cat did no good, and goading the cat into a fight only caused it to retreat. And again, like he had on so many other occasions, Ranma tried to do something else, something different to get the beast to accept him.

Extraneous thoughts of Herb and Konatsu intruded upon his awareness. The situation was difficult for all involved. Ranma wasn't sure when it had happened, but his best friend had fallen for the Musk Prince with in a year of meeting. It was a complex issue, because Konatsu knew he was by birth a male. But so much of his identity was wrapped up in being the legacy of the kuno-ichi that he thought of himself as female more often than not. The curse had given him an outlet for that desire, and he had blossomed to become a beautiful woman. Konatsu, however, was still a man, and had the same desires as any male.

The courtship had been initiated by Konatsu. One day, while sparring with Herb, Konatsu had managed to pin Herb to the ground in her female form. Either from lack of judgment or excess hormones, the girl had planted a kiss on the stunned prince before he could react. Herb had been upset, but after many long discussions and sleepless nights, it became clear that the Prince harbored a similar sentiment towards the some-times kuno-ichi. The fact that she was a he half the time threw a major wrench in the works.

An Amazon had suggested using the Chusuiton to lock Konatsu in his cursed form to solve the problem. However, Konatsu did not want to give up his male identity. He considered himself both male and female, and had suggested a different option; He wanted Herb to take a dip in the Nannichuan instead. Herb wasn't the only one who was displeased at the idea. Several high ranking Musk officials were adamant in their objections, as were some of the Amazon elders. Ku Lon seemed to like the idea, which was the only reason it was given any serious thought. She supported it because, as she put it, "That way, both tribes could have heirs."

During his ruminations the cat carefully watched Ranma. Ranma noticed that thoughts of Konatsu always seemed to make the feline aware of his presence, almost as if finally deigning to notice him. He had long pondered the question, and never arrived at a satisfactory answer. The cat became bored, and curled up once again.

Other thoughts flashed through his head; thoughts of the Amazons, the changes that had accompanied the reunion of the tribes, Ranma's desire to see more of the world. The thought took him by surprise. He carefully examined the last thought, and knew it to be true. He had little left to learn here with the Musk and Amazons. Sure, there were some new techniques, and he could become a little stronger, but it was time to leave. Would Konatsu come with him?

The cat raised its head. Instinctively Ranma grasped that part of the puzzle lay with the kuno-ichi. What was it about Konatsu that interested the feline? Ranma focused his thoughts on Konatsu, slowly examining memories as they played across the expanses of his mind. The first meeting, subsequent travels, countless sparring matches and adventures together. For the last eight years, Konatsu had been constant, companion, and friend. Ranma would miss him. He wished Herb and Konatsu the best.

He realized that he had subconsciously known he was leaving, and probably without Konatsu. He loved Konatsu like a brother, and only wished the best for him. He could never tear the ninja away from the person he loved. His family was going to be torn apart, again. Like when his father had trained him in the Cat fist. His dad had trained him, the father he loved unconditionally had hurt him, and left him alone and confused in his pain. He missed his dad. He wanted his dad back.

The cat was walking around in slow circles, carefully watching the meditating boy. Ranma hardly noticed, so lost in this train of thought that he was unaware.

Why had Genma thought it was a good idea to do this to him? Why had he insisted? Thrown him back into the pit time after time, until at last, it had ended in his death at Ranma's hands?  
Because he loved you.

"Who said that?"

I did.

"Who?"

Me. You. Us.

Ranma looked up, and saw the cat crouching low, rocking back and forth in preparation to pounce, tail flicking back and forth.

"That's the key, isn't it?"  
What is the Key, Ranma?

Love. I have to love this thing that can and has killed those I love. I have to have compassion for those that it causes pain. I have to end their suffering.

Are you willing to try, Ranma?

Yes. But I'm scared.

But what do you do in the face of fear?

I conquer it, and in so doing have place myself beyond its grasp. I no longer suffer from it and for it.

What else, Ranma?

If I can put myself beyond fear, than greed, hatred, and delusion are with in my grasp.

I understand. What you are asking of me maybe beyond my ability in this life.

Acknowledgement is enough. What I ask is no small feat. Can you do it, Ranma?

Maybe not. But I will try.

Then it is enough. Come.

Ranma stood. He looked at the cat, close by and poised to pounce. Ranma took up a relaxed stance. With a nod, he said. "I'm ready."

Herb and Captain Basil sat on the ground, carefully watching Ranma as he joined them.

"Clear your mind, then warrior. Let us command the cat, and control it today." Breathing slowly, Basil watched as Ranma slowly slid into a meditative trance, eyes partially open but unseeing. Ranma's eyes slowly came back into focus, however.

"Ranma, you aren't concentrating," the captain said sharply. The boy blushed, and concentrated on his breathing once more. Satisfied, Basil continued after a few moments. "Now Ranma, concentrate on your heart beat." Herb and the captain both watched as the boy sank deeper into the trance. His posture straight but body relaxed, he breathed in deep, even breaths.

After a slow count to one hundred, the captain spoke again. "Pull your attention from your heart and now go to the recesses of your mind." A slight tremor ran through Ranma's body. Again the captain counted slowly to one hundred, before motioning to Herb. As silently as possible, the pair stood, and backed away from the meditating boy.

Safely out of ear shot, Herb asked, "do you think he will do it today?"

"I am unsure, Lord Herb. He is fettered by something, and until he can resolve it…" Basil shrugged, and held his hands out. "Who knows? For now, we wait." And wait they did. An hour passed, and still Ranma had not come out of his trance. Ku Lon joined the pair and watched as yet another hour passed. They kept the vigil up, but there was no change in Ranma's status. A servant came and summoned the group to dinner. With a few backward glances, they passed out of the courtyard and on to dinner.

Dinner was a quite affair, with only Herb, Ku Lon, and Konatsu present. The captain had declined, instead preferring to return to the courtyard to tend to his charge. Ranma had still not stirred from his meditative state. This was not particularly alarming. The boy had once meditated for thirty-six hours straight. Unfortunately, this left Herb alone in the room with just Ku Lon and Konatsu.

Ku Lon had really taken to Konatsu after the boy/girl had confessed her feelings about Herb one afternoon two years ago. She treated her like a long-lost granddaughter, determined to see her married and happy. Even though Ku Lon knew logically that Konatsu was a man, she could tell that this would be a good match, if she could ever get Herb to agree to accept a curse of his own.

"So, Prince Herb, Konatsu tells me that you have been giving some thought to the Jusenkyo proposal."

Herb dropped his water goblet into his lap. With a curse, he sprang from the table wiping away the liquid from his garments. Ku Lon laughed at his discomfort, and Konatsu chuckled softly, obviously trying to hold back deeper laughter. He waved away the servant that sprang forth to help, and sat down after accepting a new linen napkin. "I… have given the proposal some further consideration, Elder."

"So you'll do it?" Ku Lon smiled, innocently.

"I did not say that, Elder."

"Oh, my mistake. But it would just be so lovely. We haven't had a double wedding like that in hundreds of years."

Konatsu avoided looking at Herb, and spoke very carefully to Ku Lon. "You mean this sort of thing has been done before, Elder?

"Oh, a number of times! At least, among the Amazons. It is one of the beauties of the Jusenkyo valley." Ku Lon flashed a quick wink at Konatsu.

"What usually happens?" Konatsu asked softly, trying to keep the smile out of her voice. Herb was fidgeting madly on his side of the table.

"Wouldn't you rather talk about Ranma's progress with the Neko-ken?" Herb ventured, trying not to look overly eager.

"Oh no! Come now, Herb! You should know we girls just love to talk about weddings." Ku Lon cackled, and reached for a piece of bread. She raised it to her mouth, but lowered it to speak. "Usually, it happens between two partners of the same sex who otherwise aren't allowed to marry. Both just take a dip, and bam, you have two legally separate couples to marry. Always great fun. I remember one that happened back when I was about fourteen…"

"Oh, do tell Elder!" Konatsu just positively exuded enthusiasm.

"Well, there was this one couple…" Ku Lon spun her story, taking a great deal of time getting in all the details about the courtship and the trouble it caused. Konatsu play her part perfectly, asking questions at just the right moment and always begging to hear more. Herb looked steadily less confident as the conversation continued. When Ku Lon moved on to the amount of children the couple produced, Herb's pallor took on a decidedly green hue.

The meal had been long finished before Ku Lon wrapped up her story. She was near to tears to tell it, and Konatsu was laughing right along with her. Herb had loosened up a little by the end, but that may have been the result of the several alcoholic beverages he gulped down right after the details about the children. When he finally stood to stand, he did so unsteadily. Politely thanking Ku Lon for her presence, he turned around and stumbled out of the dining area.

Both women watched him leave. "Give him time, he'll come around. And when he does, he'll thank you for it every night." With a wink, both women shared in a hearty laugh. "I better go follow him, just to make sure he's alright." Konatsu stood.

"Yes, I guess you better. Poor fellow doesn't know when he's whipped. Just like Ranma. He keeps fighting even though the odds are stacked against him."

"I think that partly why I feel in love with him. I just wish this wasn't so damn confusing." Konatsu buried her face in her hands, only to find herself wrapped in a hug by the diminutive Amazon Elder.

"But it will be worth it. Go to him. Good luck." Shooing the girl along, Ku Lon watched with a smile as Konatsu ran off into the night.

"Herb, wait!" Herb turned to watch Konatsu running towards him. With a scowl, he turned around and continued to lurch in the same direction he had been heading. "Maybe those last three drinks were a mistake," he mumbled to nobody in particular.

Konatsu caught up shortly. She fell in step, not saying anything for a while. After a few minutes of walking silently in the moonlight together, she reached forward and grabbed his hand. Herb slowed.

"You mad?" She asked.

"Not really. It was a rather grand joke. Did it take the two of you a long time to concoct that story?"  
"No concoction. It is a true story. But," she giggled, "We did spend about an hour going over what questions I should ask."

Herb laughed briefly, and looked at Konatsu's profile in the moonlight. She really was beautiful. It was just so… so damn frustrating.

"Konatsu, can you do me a favor?"

"If I can."

"Do you think you could turn into a guy for a bit?"

This threw the girl off balance for a second, but she quickly recovered. "Sure, just a second." Concentrating for a few seconds, Herb felt a tremendous surge of ki, and Konatsu quickly grew in stature. The dress she had been wearing turned into a tunic, with black pants underneath. "Why? Is this better?"

"Does Ranma know you can change at will like that?"

"Yes, but so can he. We can only do it about once a day, though. It takes way too much ki to do it constantly. Why did you want me to change?"

"I just wanted to check something." The two were about of equal height, but Konatsu was slighter in build. Yet, it was still Konatsu that stood before him, the same person that had helped bring the Musk and the Amazon together years ago. Here was the sparring partner every bit as challenging as Ranma, the friend he had grown to trust and rely on. His personality didn't change with his form.

The two walked side by side for a while in silence. "Konatsu, will you keep an eye on Ranma for a bit? I have to think for a while."

"Sure. Will I see you later?"

"You will." Herb squeezed Konatsu's hand briefly before taking off into the night.

"Father, I wish to consult with you." Touching down on the balcony, Herb waited until he sensed the changes in the ki permeating the air that told him to enter. Like any dragon, his father was very protective of his lair. The lesson had been rather painfully taught to Herb at a young age, and never wanted to repeat the experience.

"What is it, Herb?" Seated alone in a chair, his father was reading a book by torch light.

"I simply wish your approval."

With a sigh, his father carefully marked his place and put the book down on a nightstand next to the chair. He stood carefully, drawing his silk robes around him as he walked to his son. He simply asked, "Why?"

"I realized tonight that form doesn't matter. Regardless of what he looks like, that will not change. However, if by changing my form makes it easier for you and the kingdom to accept, than the price is worth it."

"Nothing I say will change your mind?"

"I did not say that. I have heard your reasons. I simply ask for your approval."

"I suppose you could not find a better mate. It is just difficult to accept."

"I understand, father. However, it simply is the union of a man and a woman, twice over."

The two walked out onto the balcony into the moonlight. Leaning on the balcony, Herb's father looked out over the mountains illuminated in the silvery light. Off in the distance, a soft mist hung over the Jusenkyo Valley. "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose. When would you get married?"

"The ceremony probably would not happen for a few years."

"hmm… Giving me time to get used to the idea, or for other reasons?"

"Maybe a little bit of both. I want to travel. I hear of Ranma and Konatsu's journeys, and I feel this urge to visit the Land of Wa. This way, I would not have to travel alone."

"Do something for me, Herb."

"Yes father?"

"Come here and give me a hug."

The soft evening air didn't carry the sounds of either's tears very far.

The Jusenkyou guide was not a night owl. He had little choice. This far into the Chinese hinterlands, there was no electricity, and his ration of oil provided by the state did not nearly cover his needs. When the sun when down, he went to sleep. He nearly fell out of bed in response to the pounding at his door. Scrambling to find his slippers, he staggered to the door in the dark, stubbing his toe on a stool in the middle of the room. Cursing, he flung open the door. The curses died on his lips.

He couldn't believe what he heard the first time. The second time barely registered. But when the third request was accompanied by being lifted from the ground by one hand, his brain quickly jumped into overdrive.

"Right away, honored customers. Follow me, please."

The next morning, Ku Lon walked down to the courtyard with Konatsu to observe Ranma. There had been no change over night, and Captain Basil had left a guard with strict orders to awaken either one of them should the Boy come out of his trance.

Konatsu seemed to be even more vibrant than normal today. In fact, she was positively glowing.

"What's with you, girl?"

"What?"

The comment earned her a sharp rap on the head with Ku Lon's staff. "I don't like to repeat myself, child. What has you so happy today?"

Rubbing the knot forming on top of her head, Konatsu replied, "Oh, just Herb."

"Oh. Just Herb, hmm? Care to elaborate?"

"Not really!" With a sunny smile the kuno-ichi raced down the steps to the courtyard below.

"Youth!" With false exasperation, Ku Lon followed her down.


	7. Right Livelihood, part 1

Chapter 6.

A huge roar shattered the morning stillness.

"He certainly knows how to make an entrance, doesn't he?" Konatsu stood up from where she had fallen over, dusting off her clothes. Ku Lon hadn't fallen over, but was clutching her chest as if she were in the midst of a heart attack.

"Remind me to smack him for scaring me like that."

"Will do, Elder."

============

"Shall we see what the child's been up to this whole time?" The two continued down the steps into the courtyard, where several figures were stirring.

Inside his mind, Ranma was locked in a pitched battle with his feline foe. No matter how hard he fought, the cat was always faster, stronger, and better. Even the brief moment he took to reflect had been costly. Ranma picked himself up off the dreamscape, his body registering yet another blow he hadn't even noticed.

"I've got to be doing something wrong…"

The feline was in fine shape. There were no noticeable wounds, and the cats sides were expanding regularly, lightly winded but with ample energy left to expend. The battle had been completely one-sided. Ranma was being trounced, plain and simple.

"But I am really fighting myself..." With a groan, Ranma staggered back to where the giant cat was waiting. "Why do I do this?"

Because your father asked you to.

Oh yeah.

Ranma lurched back into battle. Each successive attack failed even more miserably than before. No matter how inventive, how varied his tactics, he was swatted away like a toy; the cat anticipated his every move. He would pick himself up off the ground again, only to find the cat watching his every move, tail flicking back and forth.

"A matter of will, huh? I'll fucking show you some will."

Yet again, his attack was deflected with alarming ease. Sailing through the air on his way to another painful landing, Ranma reflected. He stood, a little shaky, but still going strong.

"Had enough yet?"

Apparently not, Ranma thought as his body met the hard dreamscape flooring again. He knew he was missing something obvious, but too many blows to the head had long since clouded his judgment. With a sudden flash of insight, Ranma knew of one attack he hadn't tried. With a smirk, he stalked towards his prey.

"I've got you pegged now, you little mother fucker. Come to daddy!" With glee, Ranma leapt forward to strike.

====

"How's he doing?"

Konatsu knelt by Ranma's side, checking his vitals. "I don't believe this… He's asleep!" Konatsu sighed in exasperation, and stood. "Let's get him to a bed, at least."

The remark caused a few chuckles among the assemble crowd. They carefully picked up the boy, and carried him to a room.

====

"Yeah, you liked that, didn't you?"

After all those attacks, Ranma had finally figured out the one that would work. He could have smacked himself for not thinking of it earlier. He knew what he had to do, but in his anticipation of the confrontation he had turned the meeting into a battle needlessly. All he needed to do was show love.

The cat in question had shrunk in size, to the size of a kitten. It was currently curled up in Ranma's lap, purring like a motor while Ranma rubbed its belly. With every stroke, it became a little smaller, till finally, like a dust mote, it vanished into the shadows.

Satisfied, Ranma stood and turned around. Standing behind him was the same cat, full-sized. It stood nearly as tall as Ranma. He strolled up, gave the feline an affectionate pat on the head, and began preparations to return to conscious thought.

Shall we prepare?

"Let's."

With a nod, the cat walked over to Ranma, and knelt. With a smirk, he jumped on the feline's back, and rode his mount out of the dream.

====

Ranma groaned as he finally awoke. He felt as if he had been through a meat grinder, twice. When he opened his eyes he was startled to find himself not in the courtyard where he had started, but in bed. Throwing back the sheet that covered him,

Ranma sat up and stretched his arms above his head. "What happened?"

"That's what I had hoped to ask you, Ranma. You've been out of it now for about eighteen hours. When you finally broke out of your trance, you did so with a roar that woke the entire palace." Ranma turned to look at the speaker. Basil was the person who had spoken to him, but Ku Lon and Konatsu were both by the side of the bed as well. Herb was no where to be seen.

"Nothing much, really." Ranma shook his head to clear the cobwebs in his mind. "Eighteen hours?" Basil shook nodded. "Only felt like two…Weird." Throwing his legs over the edge of the bed, he planted his feet on the ground and stood, pushing off from the bed. "Got into a fight with the cat, and in the end we called it a draw. At least he came out to play this time."

Ku Lon narrowed her eyes. "A draw?"

"Yeah. I think we left this one as equals."

"Excellent," said Basil. "Looks like you are finally making progress with the feline aspect of yourself. Feel like running through the kata with me to see if there have been any changes?"

"Sounds like an excellent idea. Mind if I bathe first?" Basil laughed, favoring Ranma with a wry grin. Ranma trotted off in the direction of the baths as Basil headed towards the courtyard. "Yo, Konastu, follow me to the baths?"

"Sure." The two walked down a colonnaded promenade. Ranma noticed that Konatsu was pre-occupied, and asked a question.

"Hm?"

"I said, 'do you want to spar today?'"

"Oh. Um… Yes, I'd love to."

"What's up, Konatsu. You are not normally this distracted."

"It's nothing." She bit the corner of her lower lip.

"Nothing my foot. Come on, spill it." They had arrived at the bathhouse. Ranma walked in, nodding to the attendants. "Tell me about it over a scrub down. I'll wash your back, you wash mine."

The now male Konatsu spilled the story while they soaked in the tub. "It's about Herb, you see."

"Surprise, surprise, surprise." The comment earned Ranma a face full of water from his friend. "Sorry. Good news or bad news."

"Unsure news."

"Care to explain?" Ranma leaned back into the tub, and placed his wash cloth over his eyes.

"Well, Herb left my room late last night and never came back. He wasn't there when I woke up this morning."

"You mean he usually is?"

Konatsu blushed deeply. "well, I mean… err.." He sank into the water upto his eyeballs, his forehead and ears still stained a deep crimson.

"You dog! I didn't know you two had gotten that far yet! Why didn't you tell me?"

"We aren't having sex, Ranma! It's not what you think!"

"Why aren't you?"

"Because neither one of us wants me to get pregnant."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh. Anyway, like I was saying, he never came back last night, and I haven't seen or heard anything about him yet today. He's just sort of… well, vanished."

"hmm…. Are you worried?" Konatsu shook her head. "Then why be bothered about it?"

"I have this feeling that somehow something fundamental has changed. It isn't a bad feeling, though."

"Konatsu, can I tell you something? You've got to keep it quite, for now at least."

The look Konatsu favored Ranma with was all the reply he needed. "Do you really need an answer to that?"

"I know, dumb question. Anyway, something happened last night to me. While I don't think I mastered the Neko-ken last night, I know something changed last night."

"What changed?"

"I wasn't honest with Ku Lon. It wasn't a draw. I won, but not a complete victory. We didn't leave as equals as much as we left as partners. I also came to understand some other things that were bothering me."

"Like what?"

Ranma sighed. "I won't master the Neko-ken here. I can't. The last key to the puzzle is missing, and I won't know what it is till I find it. I have to leave, Konatsu."

Konatsu bolted upright, causing waves to spill over the side of the tub. "You're leaving? When?"

"As soon as I can."

"But… I mean… Why?"

"There isn't much left for me here. Plus, I still have to find that Tendo guy and let him know what happened to my father."

"I'm coming with you of course. If you're going back to Japan, this would be a good time for me to finally get revenge on the woman that killed my father."

Ranma snorted.

"What, you think I had forgotten about that?"

"No, but in a way, I was hoping I could go alone."

"Why?"

"Because you have Herb. You have a life here, a family of sorts, and I don't want to drag you away. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but it will most likely be years. Neither of you deserves to be apart for that long."

"It doesn't matter. I'll deal, and I know he will, too."

Ranma was unconvinced. The two sat silently for a while, until Ranma stood and walked to the changing room. Konatsu walked in as Ranma was getting dressed. Sitting on a stool provided, Ranma waited until his friend finished dressing to speak.

"Hey, Konatsu, mind if I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"So how far have you and Herb gone, anyway?"

"None of your business, you pervert!!!"

=====

Ranma faced Basil in the courtyard, both at the ready.

"That's quite an interesting hand print on your cheek, Ranma." Basil grinned. "Think you can get your mind out of the gutter long enough to practice?"  
"Ah, stuff it. Let's just get on with it, Basil."

"That's Captain Basil to you, Ranma." Ranma snorted. Basil chuckled, but quickly became serious. "Let's try the first Kata together, Ranma. Prepare your mind, and see if you can access any of the power of the Neko-ken."

Ranma nodded. Taking slow, even breaths, he stepped forward, and threw the opening punch of the kata. Right away, something felt different. His movements felt clumsy, his muscles tight, almost as if he were constrained in some fashion.

Concentrating harder, he continued with the kata, moving his arms into a blocking position to accept the counter blow from Basil. It felt wrong, like something was out of place. He concentrated on his breathing, trying to shake the feeling. The muscles on the back of his neck and between his shoulder blades felt tight, as if he were being watched. He kept catching glimpses of something at the edge of his peripheral vision, and he felt certain that no matter how fast he turned, he would never be able to catch the specter.

"BREAK!" The two combatants returned to their start positions. "Something wrong, Ranma?"

"Yes. I feel slow… almost clumsy. And wary."

"Really. Anything else?

"I feel like I am being watched."

"Hmm… You seemed to be doing even better than normal, however. Perhaps you would like to take a minute to calm down?" Ranma shook his head. "Shall we start again?"

Again the two faced off. Ranma threw the opening punch, and immediately the same feelings came back. He felt as if a weight had settled on his shoulders. He felt harassed. Anger bubbled up from inside of him for no reason. He focused on his breathing, trying to calm the emotions and concentrate on the kata. His vision narrowed. All he could see was his opponent, readying to throw the next blow. His anger blossomed into rage. He wanted to scream.

Ranma jumped back, quickly putting distance between himself and the Captain. He was visibly shaking, clenching and unclenching his fists, breathing in ragged gasps.

"What's wrong, Ranma?"

"Such rage! Where did this rage come from?" Ranma turned to face Basil again. "Do you mind if I try it on my own? I can't get myself under control, and I am afraid."

"Be my guest." Basil stepped away, giving Ranma the floor.

Ranma took a ready position in the front of the middle of the training ground, facing no one in particular. He threw the opening punch. His body was trembling, and the veins on his arms stood out. He whipped through the kata as if he were fighting some unseen opponent, an opponent he desired to destroy.

Basil stepped back to where Konatsu watched. Whispering softly, Basil pointed to Ranma, who had just finished the first kata and launched right into the second. "I think we may see a breakthrough today."

Neither said anything more as Ranma launched into the third kata with a roar. He began moving faster, racing through the motions until his limbs blurred. He finished the third, the fourth, and yet he only sped up. Yet even for his speed, the precisions of the movements varied not a millimeter, each motion tightly focused and even more tightly controlled.

Basil frowned. "He's too tight. He's holding himself back, somehow." He waited until Ranma had finished the last kata before crying out, "Ranma! Let go! Don't hold it in. Release must release it before you can master it. Run it again." The boy nodded, even though he was breathing heavily with sweat running down his face.

Ranma took the ready position again, throwing the opening punch. The air sizzled and popped as Ranma went all out. His aura came to life around him, filling the air with the smell of ozone. The courtyard echoed as sonic booms from his punches layered one on top the other, until it sounded like one long, continuous peal of thunder.

Konatsu and Basil watched in awe as his aura expanded, shining a brilliant blue, vanishing all shadows from the training ground. The air pressure from Ranma's strikes began to create dust devils and cause small flakes of stone to chip away from the wall nearly fifteen feet away. His body blurred, and his motion became untraceable as he sped up yet again, racing through the forms. A roar filled the grounds as Ranma threw the last attack of the thirteen kata. He stood poised, arms held dramatically in front of his body, gasping for breath.

Basil leaned towards Konatsu. "He's close." Turning back towards the boy, he yelled, "Again, Ranma. Faster!"

Ranma obliged. He became invisible to the eye, movements only visible by the after images he left, the dust swirls from his foot falls, and the sonic booms echoing around the area. Soon, a new sound joined the cacophony. It started softly as a low growl and in a crescendo of fury turned into the ki-laced roar that rattled the stone around them. His aura tightened into a corona around his body, vibrant and alive, and too bright to look at. His final strike of the routine shocked even Basil. Eight tightly focused claws of ki shot from his outstretched arms almost ten body lengths from his strike, slicing through everything it is path.

"Bravo, Ranma! Now I hope you can pay for the damage you've done to my Palace!" With a smirk, Herb descended the steps into the courtyard, surveying the carnage. He let out a slight whistle as he fingered the cuts the ki had made in solid stone. "Nice handy work. If you don't make it as a martial artist, you can always find a job cutting stone."

Ranma gave a weak grin before falling to the ground in a heap. When he had finally found his breath, he managed a weak, "Oh man, that sucked," before heaving up the contents of his stomach.

"Hard work, isn't it, Ranma?" The boy only responded by letting lose another mouthful of liquid. Basil and Konatsu joined Herb in the courtyard, watching the boy coughing up bile. The captain squatted, and gently patted the boy on the back. "Not perfect yet, but you are pretty close. I must say, the power you show is impressive. Hell, I wouldn't want to spar with you."

Ranma rocked back till he was sitting on his legs, his hands out to either side for support. "Got any water?" He croaked out. Herb lifted him to his feet, throwing Ranma's arm around his shoulder. Konatsu quickly took up the other side. Together the pair dragged the boy into the palace to be cared for.

Herb was pacing the bedroom where Ranma was recuperating. Konatsu, still in male form, was sitting on the edge of the bed. Ranma had seriously overexerted himself, and his muscles were starting to protest in a major way. Everything hurt, even the roots of his hair.

"So you really do intend to leave, Ranma?" Herb continued to pace.

"Yes. Just as soon as I can. I figure I'll have trouble moving for a day or two, but after that…"

"Why? Are you not happy here?"

Ranma shook his head. "Couldn't be happier. But I still have things to do, and I won't accomplish them here. I fully intend to return." He offered Herb a smile, but holding it hurt his jaw too much, and let it drop. "Anyway, I already had this discussion with Konatsu."

"Do not miss understand, Ranma. I have no intention of keeping you here." Herb stopped pacing, and pulled a stool up to the bed. "It is simply that I had planned to leave too, but not quite so suddenly."

Konatsu and Ranma both whipped their heads around to look at Herb.

"WHAT?" Konatsu was, if anything, even more emphatic than Ranma.

"I am not needed here." Herb held up his hands to cut of the denials that sprung forth. "Please. My place is ceremonial at best. My father handles everything really important, and besides… I would like to see the world beyond the Jusenkyo valley." Herb smiled wanly. "He has all ready given me permission to do so, but only on one condition."

"What the condition?" Konatsu edged a little closer to Herb.

Herb didn't answer. Instead, he simply got up from his chair, and moved over to the flower vase on the nightstand. Pulling out the blossoms, he up-ended the vase over his head. Both Ranma and Konatsu gasped as he turned into a she.

"The condition was that I travel on my honeymoon. So what about it, Konastu? Will you marry me?"

====

The news of Herb's engagement spread like wild fire through the two tribes. Herb picked Ranma's male ego as his go-between to represent the Musk for his male half, and Ku Lon as the go-between representing the Amazons for his female half. Alternatively, Konastu choose Ranma's female side to represent her as an Amazon, and Herb's father to represent her male half as Musk. By involving so few people in such a complicated ceremony, it drastically simplified affair, but came close to killing poor Ranma.

Being chiefly responsible for negotiating the terms of the weddings between the tribes was taxing. Since Konatsu had no 'real' family in the Amazons, Ku Lon adopted her into her lineage to provide a home and 'family' for the negotiations, as it wouldn't do to have the Prince of the Musk marry a commoner. This led to quite a few internal Amazon squabbles as the Amazon women rushed to be included in the bride-to-be's list of 'friends' for the events.

Similarly, the male Konatsu had to be adopted by a high ranking Amazon family to give equal weight to the proceedings in terms of negotiations. Since Ku Lon's family had already adopted a bride, some in the village felt it was unfair for them to also have a groom. The argument was quickly settled when Xian Pu stepped in and thrashed some of the loudest dissidents. Things quieted down considerably, and the real negotiations took place. The whole affair took almost two months before an adequate bride price (in both instances) had been agreed upon and dates finalized.

It was agreed that the male Herb should pick up the female Konatsu first, and then the male Konatsu would return the favor. All parties involved agreed to hold only one wedding banquet though, both to minimize time and stress. To minimize damages to either the Amazonian compound or the Musk Palace, Xian Pu had the brilliant suggestion of erecting two staging houses away from both settlements to allow the number of high powered warriors certain to take place in the events on both sides free reign.

Dresses were made for both brides, as were matching formal wear for the men. Dowries were prepared, the tent for the wedding banquet set up between the settlements, (and out of way of the path the grooms would take), and wagons either commandeered or built for the occasion.

Neither Herb nor Konatsu really had time to spend with each other due to the preparations. Ranma was forced into the awkward position of carrying love letters back and forth for the two. Given the highly stressful atmosphere, the affianced couple held maintained surprisingly good spirits throughout. There were tears and tantrums occasionally (more from Herb than Konatsu, truth be told), but when the day finally arrived, all the preparations were in place and the event was ready to roll.

Of course, no one could keep it from raining. The procession from the Musk settlement set out early in the morning during a torrential downpour. A very wet and very female Herb sat on in the passenger seat of the ox cart, holding an umbrella more for show than anything else. In the back an elaborate palanquin rode to be used in the next part of the ceremony. Because Ranma driving, she wasn't fairing much better, but had one hand to shield his eyes from the rain.

"Look at it this way, Herb. It could always be worse!" Ranma's attempt at joviality failed miserably. Herb said nothing in response. She just sat there, looking straight ahead, blue hair plastered to her scalp, looking thoroughly miserable. Ranma glanced back to make sure the other four wagons were still following. Each was loaded to the seams with precious jade, gold, silver, gemstones, weapons, and other valuable items. Even though it was hard to see much in the rain, she could make out the wagons because they had all been painted a vivid read with bright golden characters that said "double happiness." The irony was not lost on Ranma.

"Hey, Herb, we're getting close, so be prepared for the first wave." This brought Herb to life. In the distance, they could see the house constructed for the wedding standing alone in a field not too far from the Amazon compound. The wagons pulled up to the door and were shortly surrounded by hordes of Amazon men, all drenched, but wanting to take part in the ceremony.

The ceremony began. The family and friends of the bride refused to allow Herb entrance to the house until an acceptable bride price was paid. Even though it had been agreed upon before hand, it did not stop the Amazons from haggling for all they were worth. Herb gave as good as he got, and in the end paid exactly the agreed upon sum. Transaction completed, the Herb and his entourage hopped off the wagons as all but the lead ox cart was led away.

Herb strolled up to the front door, but this time his advance was stopped by a large group of Amazons, deemed friends of the bride. They barricaded the doors, and attacked. While it was only friendly, the blows traded were still serious, and by the time the crowd had been dispatched, a number sported black eyes and bloody lips. Herb himself didn't escape unscathed, either. His garments were torn, and he had a slight gash above his left temple where someone had smashed him with mace.

The door fell quickly to a few precisely placed punches. Herb strolled into the cabin, to find Konatsu waiting demurely in a chair. Together the two walked over to a low alter in the corner, where they prepared tea and poured rice-wine for bride's ancestors while burning incense. At that point, Ku Lon and other village elders entered the cabin, shaking off the rain and waiting patiently.

Together, Herb and Konatsu offered tea to each elder, and received gifts of jewelry and money. Ku Lon went last, and offered the pair a matched set of golden rings. Herb turned to Konatsu and nervously slid one of the pair onto her left hand. Konatsu returned the favor, but unfortunately the ring didn't fit due to the change in size.To compensate, Herb simply took one of the necklaces he received and placed the ring on it, and allowed Konatsu to fasten it around his neck. After some contemplation, Konastu removed her ring, and also strung it on a necklace. The pair enjoyed a brief chuckle before they stepped out into the rain.

An ornately appointed sedan chair waited outside. Konatsu climbed in, hurrying to avoid the worst of the rain. The sedan chair headed back to the Musk kingdom born by Ranma and the rest of the Musk. Nobody said a word as the troop marched.

When the party arrived at the Musk staging area, Konatsu clambered out, and hastily ran into the building. Herb followed closely behind. Konatsu and Herb changed garments, with Herb wearing the bride's clothes and vice versa.

"Wait here, love. I'll be back shortly!" With that, Konatsu gave Herb a quick kiss and headed out into the rain. Ranma and the rest Musk began preparations to receive the Amazon groom's wedding party.

"How you doing, Herb? Hanging in there?" Ranma was leaning against the door jamb, watching Herb wring water out of her hair.

Herb simply flopped back onto the bed.  
"Yo, Herb," Ranma teased, "You might want to get on the floor. You have to sleep there tonight, and you don't want it to be all wet before you have to."

"Doesn't matter anyway, Saotome. Konatsu always forces me to sleep on the wet spot, regardless."

Ranma blanched. Herb laughed at his expression, and got off the bed. Walking over to Ranma, Herb clasped forearms with the girl.

"Ranma, I don't know if I ever said this, but… Thank you."

Ranma nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Herb dropped his grip, and they turned to wait for the Amazons.

The Amazon part of the wedding ceremony was the same. Herb's family haggled over the bride price, and then the friends of the bride barricaded the cabin from Konatsu. Unfortunately for her, the Musk were, by and large, stronger fighters and there were a lot more of them, considering that every noble lineage was related to the ruling line by blood, even if only remotely.

When Konatsu finally managed to break down the barricade, she was exhausted and bruised, but in high spirits. Again, the two prayed to the bride's ancestors, but in this case, Herb had quite a few. The tea was poured and the rice wine served, and then Herb's father and the older members of Herb's line entered for the ceremonial tea. Again, gifts were exchanged, and Herb's father presented a pair of rings to the new couple. These went onto the necklaces along side with the pair from the Amazons.

The banquet was a huge affair. It seemed that nearly all the Musk and Amazons showed how could attend did. Due to the unique circumstances of the double wedding, both families sat at the head table, signifying the bride had joined the each groom's family. Both Herb and Konatsu changed dresses for the feast, traditional pink garments with golden decals. The first dish was roasted belly pork with crispy skin, to signify virginity. Many other dishes followed in succession, including various fish dishes to signify abundance, and all manners of other foods. During the dinner, both the bride and groom wandered around greeting old friends and family.

By the time speeches were made, toasts drunk, and all around revelry was enjoyed, the night wore on well into the morning. The party began to wind down, and Herb and Konatsu greeted each guest as they left the giant canopy. Servants quickly rushed in to break down the banquet while Herb and Konatsu stood, shell-shocked and overwhelmed.

"Herb?"

"Yes, Konatsu?"

"Can we just go to sleep tonight?"

"I'd like that."

==========

A few notes- this is my first fiction writing attempt after years of reading, so be nice. I know I can't satisfy everyone (or even anyone), but this is an idea I have been enthusiastic about for a while, and I will try to finish it up in due course. I can't promise anything, but I will try to wrap it up in under 100,000 words if possible. Considering I'm only at 25,000, I don't think that will be unreasonable.

I'd like to thank those who have reviewed thus far – the encouragement is nice.

A few points brought up I would like to address:

Shadowbakasama writes:

"Only problem is Ranma traveling on his own at his age, I'd think a dojo master would track down his mother, or try and adopt the boy."

It would be a problem, but I think that it was avoided by Ranma never staying in any one place for too long. While the authorities might try to track him down, they wouldn't put much effort into it because for one, he isn't a run away, and two, he isn't registered as missing.

"Nodoka should also have been notified of Genma's death. A death certificate would have been filed and the next of kin, spouse, and clan head should be get letters from the police."

True, if there was ever a record of the actual death. Nobody but Ranma knows how or where he died. No body, no record of death, no police report, no contact with next of kin. Ranma torched the body, remember. From my understanding, this is common in Japan if a vagrant dies – with no identification or why of contacting next of kin, the body is cremated, a brief rite is read, and the issue forgotten. (feel free to correct me if I am wrong.)

Also, being only 6, I am not sure he could even give an address of where he lives. I also know that most six year olds don't even know their mother's names - Mom or Mother usually suffices until much later in life. He also never said to when his dad had died at the temple. For all the abbot might have known, the death could be at the time of Ranma's birth. Granted, this is far fetched, but then again, it is a fictional work.

"Did he get engaged to Ukyo? Or was the Neko-ken before they met."

Why give a spoiler?

"I like[d] [Ranma] meeting up with Konatsu early, but I always though that Konatsu has his personal name, and that his clan name was unmentioned. I heard that Kenzan means 'presenting' so it's like 'here is' Konatsu. It figures that he is gender confused, but I like that he figures that he is both."

I go by the manga (in Japanese) and he is presented as the "kunoichi Konatsu Kenzan" with Kuno-ichi being the family name (like Saotome) Konatsu and being his given name. As you say, one possible translation of the phrase "Kenzan" is "here is." I didn't like that, and figured enough people wouldn't know better that I sort of co-opted Kenzan as a given name. For all I know, his name may actually be Kenzan – his parents might not have been inventive enough to think of any other name than that. If you have problems with it, simply cut and paste the text, do a find/replace function, and substitute desired text where Kenzan appears.

"Have you thought of Ranma using hot and cold auras to control the water activation of his curse like in 'Growing up the Half Way' in addition to the ki control of his curse?"

Who hasn't? Not that the idea doesn't have merit, but it has been done to death. Even though controlling the curse isn't original, I have several ideas for it that are. Again, spoilers, spoilers, spoilers. I say no more.

"How did they avoid getting married to too many Amazon girls when they were found out as Musk messengers?"

Because first and foremost, they are Amazons, not Musk. If it was poorly written and difficult to understand, than I gladly change it. They are adopted amazons who just so happen to be shuttling messages back and forth between the Musk. Sometimes, it can be hard to edit your own writing, because you know the how the story goes in your head, but that doesn't necessarily translate to a good adaptation on paper.

I'd also like to thank the content on for some interesting pointers on Chinese weddings.

I will try to address any further issues in following chapters. If I don't it isn't because I don't care, but because I don't have time.


	8. Right Livelihood, part 2

Chapter 7.

Ranma was already awake before the sun came up. It wasn't by choice he was up, but rather, by necessity. Traveling with Herb and Konatsu had seemed like a good idea at the time, but Ranma had quickly found out that campsites offered little privacy. While the two were quite well behaved, they were newly weds twice over, and on top of that had raging teenage hormones.

Even the open displays of affection didn't bother him as much as the noise. The two were LOUD. When you go right down to it, it was a wonder they couldn't be heard in Shang Hai. Konatsu was bad enough in either form, but when Herb became a woman... She seemed to forget herself and allowed her ki to slip into her voice, literally causing the ground to tremble from the sound.

That is why Ranma was up. He had to get away from the campsite before the two woke. Since he had the extra time, he usually used it to do chores like gather firewood or catch breakfast. Sometimes he could train; he never knew how long the two would take. By allowing the newlyweds to get a little bit of the urge out of their system, they could usually manage to get in a good days travel. At least until night fall, anyway. Otherwise, the whole day would be shot, because they would be constantly dropping back to steal a kiss here, a cuddle there...

Ranma didn't begrudge them their happiness, but the lack of sleep was starting to get to his nerves. In the week since they had left the Musk Kingdom, they had made surprisingly good time. They would reach the sea in short order, and from there, Japan.

Ranma didn't need keen ears to hear the commotion almost a kilometer away. Seems Herb was the lucky one this morning. Ranma laughed and shook his head. For all the protestation that Herb had made about giving up part of his manhood, he had certainly taken to being a woman quite willingly at times.

The forest grew quite again well after the sun had risen over the horizon. Ranma judged it safe to return. Picking up the bundle of firewood at his feet, Ranma jogged back to the camp. His timing couldn't have been better. The female Herb was sitting on a rock with a goofy expression on her face, while Konatsu, male and still only half dressed, was starting a fire.

"Good morning!" Ranma said with a good deal of false cheer. Konatsu grunted his reply, and Herb still sat with a goofy grin on her face, staring at nothing. She would probably be useless for at least another hour. "You are going to have to tell me what you do to produce these kinds of results sometime, Konatsu." Konatsu blushed and grinned, rubbing the back of his head. His answer was non-committal, but it sounded suspiciously like 'Jusenkyo gave me an unfair advantage.'

Carefully stacking the firewood next to the pit, Ranma crawled into the tent the three shared and rooted around in his backpack. Pulling out a package of food stuffs, he tossed it to Konatsu, who was putting a pot of water onto boil. The one tent issue was a major oversight on their part. The three of them use to go camping together frequently, and had always shared a tent. Of course, that was before Herb and Konatsu got married. No one had thought to bring a separate tent for Ranma.

Breakfast was a simple and silent affair, with each person eating their allotted portion, then going to a nearby stream to wash dishes. Together they struck the tent. Actually, Ranma and Konatsu struck the tent. Herb just sort of stumbled around and bumped into things, goofy grin still plastered on her face.

Herb was finally brought back to earth by a splash of hot water. Now male, Herb blinked a few times, and promptly blushed. He said nothing, but simply packed his bags. Soon, the campsite was clear and they were ready to head out. It was still early enough in the morning that they could make good time.

Ranma pulled out a map and a compass, and did a quick estimate of where they were. The Xi'an was at least one hundred klicks to the east of their current location. Ranma told the pair, and they nodded. They set off in long, ground eating strides. At this rate, they could be there by lunch.

Herb had never been to a real city before, and so Xi'an stunned him, to say the least. Once known as Chang'an, Xian was one of the six ancient capitals of China. Long famous for being the end of the Silk Road, products from all over the world had poured into the city, making one of the wealthiest, sophisticated and most cosmopolitan of all ancient cities, rivaling its contemporaries like Rome and Constantinople. Prior to its days as a mercantile city extraordinaire, it was also the home of Qin Shi Huang Ti, the first emperor to unify China under one rule in 221 B.C and builder of the Great Wall. He was also responsible for the vast terra cotta army unearthed near by in 1974.

Nearly 8000 figures were uncovered, along with various implements of war, farm tools, and other displays of wealth. When Emperor Qin died, he wanted to make sure he brought his army with him to the other side. The trio stopped to sight-see for a bit; they were awed by the complexity and massiveness of the project, and used it as a good time to consult.

Ranma laid out the options. "So, do you want to hope a plane to Japan, a train to Shang Hai, or would you rather hoof it and swim? If you want to do more sight-seeing, I'd recommend hoofing it. Plus, we can turn it into training."

"This airplane you speak of, Ranma. Will it really have us in Japan by this afternoon?" Herb was astounded that such a thing was possible.

"Yeah, sure will, if we can find a flight."

"What do you think, honey?" Herb looked at Konatsu.

Ranma choked back a laugh. No matter how many times he heard it, he couldn't get over the way Herb sounded when he said that. Freed from the constraints of Musk society, Herb turned into a real pansy. What was even funnier, however, was the way in which Konatsu responded. His face would light up, and for an instant all would be right with the world. Ranma sniggered. Herb shot a scowl in his direction. Correction, thought Ranma, a pansy that can rip three centimeter thick steel like it was paper.

In the end, it they decided to walk. There was no particular rush to get anywhere. But first, Ranma wanted to stop by a camping supply store to pick up his own tent.

They didn't push as hard on the journey to the coast, but it still only took a week. Standing on the beach looking out over the water, the three decided to set up camp. Ranma pitched his tent well down the beach, up wind from the two. They gave it no notice. They were used to the arrangement by now. They had been mortally embarrassed when he explained why the first night. Since that time, they had been modulating noise levels a bit.

Ranma joined them for dinner after pitching his tent. "Any ideas about how we cross the water?" He ventured.

"We could always swim, Ranma." Konatsu was currently female and busy setting up the cooking gear.

"We could. But I don't want to if I can avoid it."

Herb shook his head. "I suggest we walk it."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me show you." With that Herb stood, and walked out to the water's edge. With a leap, he rose high into the air. Ranma felt him channel ki to slow his decent, and to both Ranma and Konatsu's surprise, he simple floated on the surface, bobbing up and down.

"How did you do that?" Konatsu forgot the pots, standing to get a better view of Herb.

"Simple, dear. It is a matter of surface tension. If you distribute your weight enough," he gestured to his feet, "the bond between the water molecules will actually support your weight." With a leap he landed lightly on the sand next to Konatsu. "The hard part is learning how to channel ki through your feet, and constantly adjusting it to maintain the balance. Spread your weight too little, and you get wet. Too much, and the surface becomes brittle, and you risk falling through. After a while, you get used to it, and it becomes second nature."

"Why did you never show us this before, Herb?" Ranma asked.

"Because it never occurred to me it would be useful. It is a trick, game we Musk play as children, and not very useful in combat."

"Got anymore tricks and games you might want to divulge?"

"I certainly do, Saotome. Care to master this one first?"

Ranma grinned as Herb showed them the basics of the technique.

=======

A week later they arrived in Kyushu, not far from Nagasaki. The actual 'walk' across had only taken one day, but they stayed on the beach in china for five, practicing and perfecting the technique. They had one day of rest, and then made a mad dash across the waters to Japan. It was sort of like ice skating in a way – Ranma noticed he tended to get dragged with surface currents, or pushed around by the wind.

Even though it didn't take a lot of ki to actually balance on the water, it did take a lot a ki to maintain that balance for the fourteen hours it took to make the crossing. When they finally touched land on Japanese soil, Ranma and Konatsu were ready to collapse, ki reserves completely spent. Herb was doing okay, of course, but even he, with his draconian blood and huge reserves of ki, was tired.

"FOOD."

"Hungry, Ranma?"

"Channeling ki for a long time tends to do that. Shall we go find some of the ranmen that Nagasaki is famous for?" Ranma and Konatsu both nodded eagerly. Herb helped them to their feet, and together the shuffled off in search of food.

The three sat onto of the mountain overlooking Nagasaki, having taken the sky tram to the top to digest their meals. They were looking at the pictures showing the devastation wrought by "Fat Man," the atomic bomb dropped on the city at 11:02 am, August 9th, 1945.

Herb looked out over the city in quite contemplation. Konatsu came up and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What are you thinking about, Herb?"

"The level of destruction unleashed upon this city."

Ranma turned from the railing to watch them.

"Horrific, isn't it?"

"Yes, and no. I was thinking about it because I am sure I could accomplish the same in one blast, if I was truly angry. When seen in terms of the numbers of lives lost, I have begun to understand Ranma's incessant quest for control."

"You sensed it too, Herb?" Ranma asked in hushed tones.

"I am not even at my full molt yet, and even now I could crush this wipe this city from the face of the earth a second time if I desired it. I am sure you could, too. Even you Konatsu, if you so chose."

Konatsu protested.

"You talents dear may lie in a different area than Ranma's or mine, but you are every bit as powerful as either of us. It begs the question, Ranma: Why do any of us need this much power?"

"I think the answer to that question to that is simple. There is always someone better and stronger, and not everyone has pure intentions. I want to protect those who can't protect themselves."

Conversation died rather quickly after that. The three stayed at the railing for a while, looking out over the city.

====

As they were boarding the tram to return to the city proper, they were stopped by a large Japanese boy with a giant backpack and red umbrella. The boy was obviously very nervous as he asked, "Do you know how to get to Furinkan High School?"

"Where is that?"

"It's in Tokyo, somewhere. I wanted to try and find this girl, Tendo Akane..." The boy blushed.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

The boy laughed nervously, dry washing his hands. "Not yet, anyway. She doesn't really know how I feel about her, but..." he trailed off. "Anyway, do you know where it Furinkan is?"

"This is Nagasaki."

"Oh. Right. So, which way to Tokyo from here?"

After a massive face fault, Ranma, Konatsu, and Herb all pointed east.

"Thank you so much. This way, right?" The boy promptly headed in the opposite direction.

"That guy has a terrible sense of direction." Ranma murmured.

His companions could only nod in disbelief.

=====

"Welcome to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki! What can I get for you all today?" The girl behind the grill was almost a force of nature due to her sunny disposition and attitude. Ranma, Konastu, and Herb had arrived in Osaka only a few hours ago, and had asked for the local specialties. Everyone had recommended this particular Okonomiyaki restaurant. After the first bite, they could see why. It was worth every second of the two hour wait the trio had endured to be seated.

"Holy shit, this is amazing." Ranma exclaimed, as he promptly ordered his fifth okonomiyaki. Herb wasn't far behind, and Konatsu was already ordering a sixth. When asked what variety, he exclaimed, "Doesn't matter. Just pick one."

The three were still eating long after the rush had died and most customers had gone home. The woman behind the grill had a little more time to socialize, and after chatting with her regulars, came over to the group.

"I've never seen anyone eat that many in one sitting before. You've had every one on the menu, and some twice besides. Thirty three in one go is definitely a new store record."

Ranma just grunted, and popped the last of the okonomiyaki in his mouth. Slowly chewing, he enjoyed every last savory sensation before swallowing.

"You're cute. What's your name, sugar?"

Ranma choked. Herb favored him with a grin and hit him on the back, none to gently. Regaining his composure, Ranma told her.

"Ranma? What's your last name?"

"Saotome. Ranma Saotome. Why, do you know the name?"

"Nope, but I like it. Ranma's a sexy name. Mine's Kounji Ukyou."

"I am pleased to meet you, Ms. Kuonji. I must say, you certainly make some of the best food I've ever tasted in my life."

"Please, call me Ucchan. Everyone else does."

"Ucchan, huh? Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"Well..."

The conversation carried on, and Herb and Konatsu even joined in. When Ukyou learned it was their honeymoon, she was ecstatic. She discounted their bill fifteen percent as a present. After a while even Ukyou had to go home, though. She had to kick them out so she could clean. She was disappointed to learn they weren't staying in the area.

Herb and Konatsu were merciless on the walk to the campsite.

"Did you see him making eyes at her the whole time?" Konatsu clucked.

"I WAS NOT!"

"Disgusting. I can't believe she didn't slap him." Herb shook his head.

"Hey, wait just a minute..."

"I mean, they were practically undressing each other in public!" Konatsu followed suit.

"Hey, you take that back!"

"You practically propositioned her back there." Herb only just managed to stifle a chuckle.

"Did not!"

"I think you said 'maybe I could come over some night after you close shop, and you can show me some of your moves.'" Konatsu turned away to hide her smile.

"I WAS TALKING ABOUT HER COOKING!!!!"

"Mm hm.. Right. She just ate that right up, didn't she?"

"Practically squealed, as I recall."

"Had we not been there, she probably would have jumped you on the spot."

"Ranma, I didn't know you had such loose morals."

"GAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Salvation came in a very unlikely form for Ranma.

"Excuse me folks, do you know how to get to Furinkan... Hey, it's you three again!" Ryoga absently rubbed the back of his neck. "I got lost before I could find the school. Do you think you'd be kind enough to show me how to get there again?"

"What's your name?" Ranma asked.

"Oh, Hibiki Ryoga."

"Ryoga, this is Osaka."

"Oh, right. So, how do I get to Furinkan from here?"


	9. Right Livelihood, part 3

Chapter 8.

Night was quickly approaching in central Honshu. The dark clouds that coveredr the Hida range sucked the little remaining light from the sky. Lightening flashed and thunder rolled ominously. In the little towns and hamlets that surrounded Mt. Hida, old timers muttered to themselves about bad omens, and mothers called children in from the storm.

Deep in the mountains, miles from any human civilization, the storm gathered intensity. Lightning flashed across the sky, searing after images into the eyes of anyone who saw. Lances of fire struck the ground, lighting blazes and tossing earth and trees into the air like giants at play. With unerring accuracy, one more strike flashed out of the heavens, shattering a bolder bound with a Shinto seal. The seal was rendered asunder in the resulting explosion releasing an unspeakable evil.

The spirit chuckled as it crawled out of the cave. After so many years, it was finally free to punish those that had sealed it in the first place. Lighting and thunder burst from the heavens simultaneously. When the spirit regained consciousness from the lightening strike, it chuckled again, although a little unsteadily.

The priest's clap signified the end of the meditation period. Ranma uncrossed his legs, moved to the edge of the raised tatami platform, and donned his slippers before following the others shuffling out of the meditation hall. Ranma was the only guest present, the rest of those meditating were monks. Even though it had been a long trip to visit Sojiji-dera, he had simply needed a place to reflect and purify his thoughts.

Ranma was joined in his stroll around the grounds of the temple by an old priest. Nothing was said as the two simply reflected on the previous meditation. Upon entering the temple again, Ranma walked the corridor to stop by an open pair of doors facing a rock garden. Ranma knelt. The priest joined him.

The two stopped by the rock garden, looking out over the delicate swirls traced into the white gravel to represent water. Ranma broke the silence first. "Why do you practice Zen?"

The old man smiled. "It seems right."

"To what purpose?" Ranma asked.

"To shun all evil. To do good. To purify one's heart."

Ranma nodded. "This is the teaching of the Buddhas"

The priest smiled as Ranma finished the quote. "Yes, but do you understand what it asks of you?"  
Ranma raised his left hand and stared at it as he made a fist. "I used to think so. Now, I am not so sure."

"Then you have already taken the first steps on the path to true wisdom. You don't need to talk with an old codger like me." The old man smiled. "Feel like doing lunch?"

Ranma replied by placing his slipper on his head. Their laughter rang throughout the building.

With a sigh, Ranma wrote down the address and closed the phone book. He was out of change, so he couldn't call. There were just too many damn Tendo's in Tokyo. Stepping out of the phone booth, he took a second to gain his bearings, and pulled a map out of his pocket. Ranma groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose when he realized how far away the address was from his current location.

"Well, might as well get started," Ranma muttered to no one in particular. With a leap, he took to the roof tops, heading in the general direction of the address. He was bored, and with nothing better to do, he used these trips to get some exercise.

Ranma was tired of Tokyo. Since he had arrived it had been nothing but a series of hassles and miscommunications. First, it had been a hassle to find place to stay. Herb, being royalty simply sprung for a hotel room with Konatsu. While Ranma had been urged to stay with the pair, he wanted a little privacy and slightly longer term accommodations.

The problem was that Ranma had no history in Japan. Money wasn't the problem; Ranma had accumulated a small fortune from the various gifts he had received from both the Amazons and the Musk as rewards for his role in the reunification. He had sold a single piece of jewelry when he first arrived in Japan, and had more than enough cash for renting living quarters. The problem was that few people were willing to rent to someone like him – a person with no references, no family, nobody to vouch for his willingness or ability to pay.

Ranma had been forced to stay in a seedy hotel in the one of the various bar districts around the city. That had led Ranma to quickly realize a second problem; he was not used to urban dwelling. A drunken salary man had tried to grope Ranma in his female form on his way to the love hotel he was staying. Ranma reacted without thought, breaking the man's wrist in a blink of an eye. The police became involved, and Ranma was forced to run or answer lots of awkward questions.

The lack of green was also getting to the boy. He felt trapped, with few places to train seriously for fear of damaging property or hurting civilians. At this point, he just wanted to find this 'Tendo' person and get back to China.

A half hour later Ranma touched down in front of a non-descript apartment complex in residential neighborhood. Double checking the address against the slip of paper in his hand, he walked to the building and climbed to the fifth floor. He knocked on 505, and waited.

A mousey looking woman answered the door on the fourth knock. Ranma launched into his spiel. It quickly became obvious that this was not the family Ranma was looking for. He apologized for the inconvenience, and headed off to find another public phone.

The silver lining of these wasted trips was that Ranma got a very good understanding of the city and the surrounding neighborhoods. He kept his eyes open for spaces for rent, always hopeful to find a boarding house or apartment complex willing to rent to a drifter.

Later that evening Ranma watched as the sun began to slowly set below the horizon. He had just finished the Tendo Se...'s in the phone book. Tomorrow he'd start on the So's. He sat still as the sun vanished, wishing he was watching from atop the palisades from the Amazon compound instead of a rinky-dink park in Tokyo.

Herb and Konatsu had just finished having dinner at an elegant sushi restaurant in Ginza. They had drawn straws, meaning that tonight Konatsu was male and Herb female. Walking arm in arm, they worked their way down the street, no particular destination in mind. The last several days of their honeymoon had been spent taking in the sites of the surrounding city.

"Herb?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you think Ranma will find who he's looking for?"

"I don't know. Tokyo has 28 million people. Finding one specific one could be impossible."

"How long you think we'll be here?"

Herb shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could stay in Tokyo for a bit."

"What for? This city is nice, but I am looking forward to seeing other parts of this country as well."

"I was thinking more to meet other people our age. At home, everyone treats you as royalty and me as the next thing to it. I want to try being normal, for once."

"You are anything but normal, my love."

The two walked for while in silence.

"What do you think will happen when Ranma finds what he's looking for?"

"..." Herb just walked. She had no response.

=====  
  
"Hello, is this the Tendo Residence?"

"Yes it is. May I ask who is calling?"

"I am Ranma Saotome. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

"As am I, Mr. Saotome. I am Kasumi Tendo. What is this call in regards to?"

"This is hard to explain, Ms. Tendo, but I am looking for a friend of my father, Genma Saotome. I only know that the person is a Tendo. I was hoping that someone there might recognize the name."

"No, I'm sorry, that name doesn't ring a bell. If you hold on a bit, I can ask my father."

"Sure, I'll wait." There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

"Mr. Saotome, was it? I'm sorry, but my father is out. Perhaps you can try again later?"

"I will. Thank you, Ms. Tendo. "

"You are welcome. Good luck in your search, Mr. Saotome."

Ranma hung up, and circled the name on the list. He'd come back to it, eventually. Looking up the next number, he dialed while watching the credits tick off his phone card.

Ranma was so absorbed in writing down numbers that the tap on the glass caught him by surprise. Biting back an oath, he looked in the direction of the sound.

"Excuse me; do you know the way to Furinkan High School?"

"It's this way, Hibiki." Tugging on the makeshift leash he had tied around Ryoga's waist, Ranma pulled the lost boy in the right direction yet again. It had been his intention only to point Ryoga in the right direction, but it soon became apparent the boy was hopelessly lost. Ranma had tried simply walking with the boy, but one second of inattentiveness would cause them to go wildly off-track. In frustration, Ranma had joked about the leash, but to his surprise, Ryoga had agreed enthusiastically.

"I really appreciate your help, Saotome. I've been looking for Furinkan for weeks." Ranma just grunted in reply. Ryoga fingered the rope tied around his waist, contemplating. "This is how my grandma used to lead me around. She never got lost like the rest of us."

"The rest of us?"

"Oh, my family. My mother and father are both pretty bad with directions."

"Worse than you? You have got to have the worst sense of direction of anyone I have ever met, Hibiki." Ranma absentmindedly tugged on the rope again, correcting Ryoga's path.

"They might be worse, but I am not sure, really. We don't get to see each other much, on account of the family being lost all the time. I remember once my mom went to buy groceries, as was missing for six months. My dad went out to find her, and he went missing for seven! I haven't been home in about three months now."

Ranma only shook his head. "It sounds to me like your family has some sort of curse." Ranma pulled out his pocket map to verify his location. He didn't know this area of Tokyo very well. He hadn't been to Nerima yet, but according to the phonebook, the high school was located in this town.

"Anyway, we aren't far now," Ranma said.

"Really? How do you know?"

Ranma gestured to the sheet of paper in his hand.

"What's that?"

"A map."

"Oh." There was a long pause. "I could never understand those things..."

Ranma stopped dead. "Wanna learn? They can keep you from getting lost." The lost boy nodded in response. Ranma motioned the boy over to him. "Come here." Pointing at the map, he asked, "What do you see?"

"Just a bunch of boxes and names. How's that supposed to help?"

"Look, see that name there?"

"Yeah?"

"That's the street we are on now."

"Oh..."

"And that 'box' is actually this building right here. See how it's shaped to look like this building if viewed from the top?"

"Yeah?"

"And since this is north..."

"How do you know that's north?"

Ranma gave Ryoga a blank look. Ranma could detect no deceit, just honest to goodness confusion. With a sigh, he pointed at the map key. Ranma spent the next hour explaining to Ryoga about maps and how to read them. The lost boy still looked dubious, though, even after he began to grasp the key concepts.

"Look, I promise, these things work. That is why most people don't get lost all that often."

"Really?"

"Really. Look, why don't you try it for yourself? I'll help you get to where you're going, but you take the map."

"I don't know..."

"Just try it."

The journey took a lot longer that Ranma expected. They had started out in early afternoon, and even though they were only a mile away from the high school, the sun was setting before the pair arrived. Ryoga's navigation improved, but his sense of direction, or lack there of, was nothing short of miraculous. Ranma prevented Ryoga from making any wrong turns by making him carefully consult the map, go over his verify his left and right, and contemplate each intersection. The lost boy was ecstatic when they finally arrived.

"I've never purposely found a place before! Can you believe it? This has to be the fastest I've ever arrived here!" Ryoga turned and enveloped Ranma in a bone crushing hug.

Ranma accepted the hug with reluctance. "Congratulations. It only took you three hours." Ranma was rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to his hardest to be polite. Only the thoughts of doing good deeds kept him from pounding the boy to a pulp. "Looks like school's out, for today, anyway. Do you need any help getting home?

Ryoga just shrugged, and hitched a thumb at the backpack on his shoulders. "No, I'll just camp here. I don't go to school here, anyway. I just wanted to be here in the morning when Akane comes through."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, Saotome. Thank you for all your help."

"It was my pleasure. Practice with those maps. They will help, guarantee."

Konatsu, Ranma and Herb met up early the next morning to train. They hopped on top of a speeding train headed north out to the mountains, intending to get some serious practice in before the day began. They didn't talk much as the wind whipped at their clothes. When they deemed they were close enough to wilderness, they simply jumped off, and kept running.

The exercises they had devised were simple yet brutal. One person would defend, while the other two attacked as ruthlessly as possible for thirty minutes. Then, someone else would be the defender. Anything went, and no punches were pulled. It was both endurance practice and exercise in withstanding punishment. The training continued until they could barely move, and then the hard part began.

Herb was still guiding and pushing Konatsu and Ranma through ki manipulation exercises to increase both their control and capacity. The three sat in a triangle and juggled balls created from ki. Each ball had a distinct color; the difficulty was rapidly dividing the necessary ki flows to maintain the unique characteristics of each ball as it was rapidly tossed back and forth. They began juggling with six balls at first, and Herb kept adding an additional ball every few minutes. Just to make things interesting, the direction the balls were tossed was reversed with each additional ball.

Lapses in concentration were painful, as Ranma and Konatsu quickly learned. Even though the balls were only baseball sized, if he let his concentration slip for a moment, it would explode on impact, with the force of stick of dynamite. If either one let a ball wink out of existence or explode, they would restart from the beginning. Sweat was pouring off the faces of all three as the Herb added another ball, bringing the count up to fourteen.

They managed to get up to sixteen balls before Konatsu slipped. The resulting explosion caused Ranma to lose his concentration, and he got hammered by the balls Herb was tossing to him. Ranma managed to finally climb out of the hole he had been blasted into just as Konatsu reached the top of his.

Herb held up his hand. "That is enough for today. You both are going to pass out soon." The prince sat down on a log, watching as the pair climbed to their feet unsteadily. "Ranma, do you want to try and run through the Neko-ken kata while you are out here?"

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know how much energy I have, but I'll give it a try." Herb and Konatsu sat back and watched as Ranma took a ready position. He took a few deep breaths, and summoned up the frame of mind needed for the Neko-ken. He launched into the opening move, but he could tell right away that it wasn't going to happen today.

When he finished the final kata, he lowered his arms. "Guess the cat didn't want to play today." Herb nodded, and Konatsu merely pursed his lips.

Konatsu stood and walked over to Ranma. "Why do you think that was? Do you think you need to meditate before hand?"

"Don't know. Still haven't figured out everything yet. Anyway, let's head back."

The train ride back was silent. All three were fatigued, but Herb had fared better in the ki exercises. As the trio hopped off the train at Ikebukuro, Konatsu asked about Ranma's search.

"Ahh, don't ask. It isn't going to well. I've been through 90% of the Tendo's in the phone book by now."

Herb joined in the conversation. "How long do you intend to stay in Tokyo, Ranma?"

"I will stay as long as I need to."

"What if the person you are looking for is dead?" Konatsu ventured.

"I'll find him, one way or another."

The rain had dampened Ranma's mood, but couldn't kill it completely. His last lead had turned out to be a dud. That wasn't why he was in a good mood, however. Ranma had found an old shrine in Nerima that was in desperate need of grounds keepers, offering room and board. While he hadn't accepted on the spot, the offer was too good to pass up, and he wanted to consult with the married couple before agreeing.

Ranma felt a sudden spike of ill-will from behind that snapped her out of her reverie. That, and the fact that someone was fondling her ass. Ranma lashed out with backhand that knocked the offender into a nearby wall, kicking up a cloud of dust. Ranma whipped around, scanning the dust cloud for signs of movement. A blur out of the corner of her eye was all the warning she had before she felt something attach to her chest.

Looking down, Ranma saw what could only be described as a troll in a gi attached to her boobs. "DIE, you little pervert!" With a scream, Ranma let loose with a punch that would have would have torn the pervert's head off if it connected. Somehow the little being shimmied out of the way and copped a feel on his way down.

"Whoa, a feisty one! I can't believe those boobs are real, doll!" With a wink, the troll took off, bounding to the top of the nearest roof. Ranma didn't even stop to think. She pursued, following closely behind.

Ranma was fast, but she was having a hard time keeping up with the little monster. She threw a few small ki blasts in an attempt to slow down her target. It worked. Ranma closed the distance in and instant and launched an offensive. She wasn't prepared for the retaliation, though. The little demon hit hard, even harder than Herb. On top of that it was FAST.

With an open palm and fingers curled, Ranma ducked under a series of blows and lashed out with a snarl. The figure jumped back, and examined four evenly space slash marks in its gi that ran across the torso.

"Hmm.. Neko-ken trained. This might be more fun that I thought!" Ranma was startled by the revelation, but didn't have time to think as the troll pressed its attack.

Ranma was panting and battered. Her opponent was also bloody and tired, but Ranma had come out far worse for the exchange. This had been the oddest fight she had ever been in. What started out as a fight quickly became a battle to protect her modesty. The little troll's attach had been nothing more than repeated attempts to grope the girl. Ranma, for her part, had merely been trying to fend off the lecherous little sprite. He was as good as Ku Lon, if not better.

"What's your name, girl?"

"You tell me your first, you little lech."

"I am Happosai, Grand Master of the Anything Goes style of Martial Arts."

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Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far.  
a few notes:  
One - I didn't want to make this a match up/ fighting fic. I have a clear idea of how it is going to end, but not as clear an idea about how it is going to get there. Any romance/fighting that happens along the way is incidental.

Two - I love hearing comments from the readers. It stimulates the thought process, so keep 'em coming. If you like this fic, recommend it to some friends.

Three - I don't own any of these characters.

Four - I wanted to do an informal poll to see who the readers think should get Ranma. I abhor creating new characters (because I don't think I can do it), but don't mind playing with the existing boundaries. (I have my own preference, but wanted to see what the reviewers had in mind.)


	10. Right Effort

Chapter 9.

"Come on Herb, it will be fun, I promise!" Konatsu was dragging a very reluctant female towards the building.

"Can't we go to a museum or something instead?"

"Please?" In the end Herb couldn't stand up to the pathetic look Konatsu was giving her. That didn't stop the girl from complaining the whole time as the pair suited up.

"What was this called again?" Herb checked the laces of her boots one final time before standing.

"Ice-skating. You ready?" Konatsu took her hand as the pair walked to the ice. Neither had skated before in their lives, but that didn't stop them from trying. After thirty minutes of fumbling, bumbling, laughter, and spills, they were finally getting the hang of it.

Herb laughed as Konatsu tried to emulate some of the better skaters and fell. When she threw her head back, though, she lost her balance and started to fall as well. Or she would have fallen, rather, if a strong pair of arms hadn't wrapped her in a hug from behind and swept her feet off the Ice.

"Let me teach you how to skate," said the tall figure in a white sweater.

"I don't need your help." Herb's demeanor turned as frosty as the ice.

"That's too bad." Herb was swung around to face the boy. "At least thank me for the helping you out just now." With that, Sanzenin dipped Herb low and kissed her.

=====

"So, tell me your name, cutie!" Happosai grinned, circling around Ranma.

"It's..." Ranma's reply was cut short as she felt two huge surges of ki kilometers away from his present location. The blood drained from her face as she recognized the sources.

"Oh shit..." She took of in the direction of the flare up, running faster than she ever had before.

"Hmm..." Happosai sat down on the crest of the roof, lit his pipe, and watched as Ranma disappeared rapidly in the distance.

Sanzenin had gotten all sorts of reactions from kissing girls, but he could honestly say this was a first. When he had set the cute silver-haired girl back on the ice after the kiss, she merely looked at him. Then, she started to glow. This was not the glow one gets from spending time with a loved one or from physical intimacy; rather, this was the hovering three feet off the ground, hair flailing wildly in a non-existent breeze, unbearable heat radiating and melting the ice beneath her feet glow.

"Is it too late to apologize?"

The grin on Herb's face didn't reassure Sanzenin in the slightest.

To make matters worse, Sanzenin saw another person glowing in the same manner not to far behind the girl. He had faced jealous boyfriends on numerous occasions, but this was the first time that he had ever soiled himself because of it. Sanzenin tried to move, but for some reason, his body was frozen, his eyes locked into the gaze of the silver-haired woman. Sanzenin wished he could evacuate the building like all the other patrons were doing at this moment.

Herb touched the ground a few feet away, and the ice beneath her feet instantly vaporized, turning to steam. She took a small step forward, her skates sinking into the concrete floor of the rink like sand. The woman's boyfriend was scary; this woman, however, was truly terrifying.

Ranma was closing in on the ki signatures. Ahead, she saw a panicked mass of people blindly fleeing, like cattle in a thunderstorm. She added yet more speed, hoping she wasn't too late.

"Konatsu!" Herb's voice was soft, but laced with ki. It made her whisper zip around the room, bouncing around and surrounding the unfortunate boy. "How do you suggest I punish this fool?"

Konatsu walked in a slow circle around Sanzenin. He noted with satisfaction that the boy was quivering with fear. Lashing out, Konatsu struck a pressure point near Sanzenin's spine that completely immobilized the boy. "What is the normal punishment for this sort of incident at home?"

Herb raised her right fist, the back her hand facing Sanzenin. She extended her pointer finger and a lance of ki six inches long sprung to life. "At home, we give the offender two choices." She pointed the lance at Sanzenin. "You can either lose the ability to have children, or your limbs."

"Let's cut off his feet, Herb."

"I'd rather neuter him." The lance on Herb's finger grew several inches.

"Well, we can remove his hands as well."

Herb smiled at Konatsu. It wasn't a pretty smile. "As you wish, husband."

Sanzenin, unable to move, did the only thing he could. He began to gibber.

Ranma watched the scene from the rafters of the rink briefly before dropping down into the party. "Yo, guys. What's up?" Ranma wrinkled his nose. "Actually, what's that smell?"

Herb nodded to the still paralyzed boy. "He has soiled himself."

"No shit?"

Konatsu chuckled darkly. "Actually, judging from the sag in his britches, I'd say quite a bit, really."

"So, what did he do?" Ranma flicked his eyes back and forth between the pair, and saw Herb's silent snarl and Konatsu's eyebrows knit together.

"He stole a kiss from Herb."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

Ranma's laughter certainly startled the pair.

Herb practically squealed, "It's not funny, Ranma!"

Ranma just laughed harder. Between bursts of laughter, he managed to gasp out, "I hope he was a good kisser, at least."

Herb's nose scrunched. "Actually, he was sloppy. He also needs to brush his teeth."

This just sent Ranma off the deep end. His laughter was having an effect, though. A beginning of a smile had appeared on Konatsu's face, and Herb's aura was slowly returning to normal. When Ranma finally calmed down, he turned to the paralyzed boy.

"So, what were you guys going to do to him?"

Konatsu and Herb both spoke at the same time.

"Neuter him." "Cut his limbs off."

"Little harsh for just a kiss, don't you think?"

The married couple just shrugged.

"What if we do this, instead?" Ranma pulled out a bottle of shampoo and began to outline his plan. Herb and Konatsu both thought the idea was super. Sanzenin, of course, didn't agree, but he didn't have much choice in the matter.

Ranma, Herb, and Konatsu released Sanzenin some time later, and the trio decided to follow to watch their handiwork. To Herb's delight, they were immediately rewarded when Sanzenin saw a lovely young girl walking towards him. The boy brushed his hair back, and started to walk in her direction. However, when he got with a few meters, he stopped, clutching his stomach. Even from where they stood, the trio could hear the rumblings of his intestinal tract. The boy began to run, looking for the nearest available restroom.

Ranma smirked. "Glad to know that this bottle of 110 shampoo I brought will be useful."

Konatsu nodded. "This is so much more satisfactory. It was a stroke of brilliance to use saifuatsuhengou to reprogram his memory in response to women, Ranma."

"Will the effect wear off?" Herb watched as Sanzenin continued to frantically search for a bathroom.

"It will in about a year. By that time, he'll be so conditioned to be scared shitless of women that it won't matter."

This caused all three of them to chuckle. "I still think we should have neutered him, if only for the good of the world," Herb said.

Ranma just shook his head. "I have someone for you guys to neuter. Listen to this..." The pair listened as the Ranma told him about his run in with Happosai. "This perverted grandpa was good. I would say he was as good as Ku Lon, maybe better."

Konatsu crossed his arms, frowning. "What should we do? Besides groping you, what crimes has he committed?"

Ranma shrugged. "He stole some underwear. I was thinking more of protecting others from the letch."

"Perhaps we can rotate shifts, and keep an eye out for him." Herb paused, "if he is as good as you say, though, it will require a team effort to stop him."

"Yeah, isn't it great? What better training could you ask for? Think about the techniques this guy must know."

"Ranma, we are on our honeymoon, remember?" Herb wrapped her arms around Konatsu's waist. "We have other 'techniques' we have to practice. What makes you think we want to take the time to hunt for some pervert?"

"Don't you guys get bored with just having sex all day?"

The pair grinned. "Not yet!"

"I don't understand you two sometimes."

Herb laughed. "You will when you finally get laid, Ranma."

=====  
  
The trio was walking back from their earlier encounter at the skating rink. Herb and Konatsu were planning what they wanted to do next, while walked along silently, Ranma lost in thought.

"What do you guys think about enrolling in school while we are here?"

"Hmm?"

"I was just thinking, ya' know." Ranma kicked a stone in the street. "We could enroll at that school I took Ryoga to the other day."

"Furinkan?" Herb asked.

"Yeah." Ranma nodded.

"You realize we'd have to find a longer term solution to housing."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you guys." Ranma began to tell them about the temple he had found, before he had been fondled by Happosai. The pair listened, asking questions about location, size, and what responsibilities they would be required to assume.

"Want to go check it out? It's only a few kilometers from here." Ranma pointed in the general direction. Herb looked at Konatsu, who just shrugged. With that, they took off over the roof tops.

The temple had seen better times. There was only one old monk who currently resided there, and he had not had an acolyte for many years. The old man showed the three around the grounds, and then to the quarters where they could stay. The accommodations were sparse, but separate, which satisfied all involved. The monk outlined their duties, which included rotating days cooking dinner, sharing the financial burden of purchasing food and supplies, caring for the grounds, doing repairs to the temple, and helping the monk prepare for religious events.

Ranma was of course enthusiastic about the arrangement. Herb and Konatsu didn't mind, but expressed concerns about noise. Turns out they didn't need to worry – the monk was practically deaf, and Ranma would just deal. Moving in didn't take long at all. By the end of the day, the three had settled in, and went to Furinkan to register for school.

It was the first day the three would be attending school. As the trio entered the gates of the high school, they were greeted by a rather large gathering of boys garbed in various sports paraphernalia. The three cast curious gazes at the assembled mass before working their way to the main office.

"Wonder what that was about?" Ranma nodded to the crowd behind them.

Herb and Konatsu shrugged, and looked at their class assignment. "What class did you get, Ranma?" Konatsu asked.

"1-F."

Konatsu showed Ranma Herb and his assignments.

"You guys too, huh?" Ranma hitched his satchel. "Shall we go meet our classmates?"

"Class, I want you to meet our new exchange students from China, Ranma Saotome, Konatsu Kenzan, and Herb." The teacher looked up. "Do you have a family name, Herb."

"No."

"Hmm... Interesting. Will you be acquiring school uniforms anytime soon?"

Ranma and Konatsu were wearing standard Chinese shirts and baggy pants. Herb was wearing a tunic, a simply cut with ties across the right shoulder.

"We received special dispensation from the vice-principal due to 'unique' circumstances." Herb spoke for the group.

"Hmm... Anyway, why don't the three of you find take what ever seats are available."

All three were currently male, and the females of the room were gesturing enthusiastically to get the boys to sit in the empty seats next to them.

Herb sat next to Akane, Ranma squeezed behind Hiroshi, and Konatsu sat near the front of the class.

The teacher spoke up again. "To the next order of business. Tendo Akane, you were late again. Go stand."

Akane sighed and headed out into the hall. The class quickly fell into a rhythm as the first teacher of the day arrived and began the lesson.

Lunch was awkward for the three new students. As soon as the bell rang, they were instantly swarmed by all the girls in the classroom. The doors to the class opened, admitting girls from the neighboring classes as well.

Questions began to pelt the three before they had even pulled their lunch boxes out. They quickly reached a silent agreement where they would alternate answering questions so that they could eat. They faced the normal gamut of questions like 'how old' and 'where are you from,' but then things got weird.

Some random girl asked, "Are you all single?"

Akane, sitting in the corner eating her lunch, scoffed.

A collective silence reigned as they waited for answer. Konatsu and Herb merely shook their heads to the negative, and groans filled the room. "Well, what about you, Ranma? You single?"

"I am currently, yes." Tittering filled the room as Konatsu and Herb were suddenly ignored. From then on, Ranma bore the brunt of the questions. When it was learned that all three were martial artists, a groan filled the room.

"He'll probably try and date Akane, just like the rest of them." A collective agreement rose throughout the room.

"If he tries, I'll beat him up like the rest of the perverts." Akane was glaring daggers at the boy.

Ranma acknowledged the comment with a slight bow in Akane's direction. Her temper flared. "Are you mocking me?"

Ranma was saved from answering by the bell ringing to signify the end of the lunch period.

The rest of the day passed pretty quickly. Ranma was unable to concentrate in class, because practically every girl in class passed him a note at some point, Akane being the only exception. When the final bell rang and the class was dismissed, his locker was crammed full of notes as well.

This amused the trio to no end as they read the accumulated notes out loud on the walk home.

"Oh, this one is good, Ranma." Konatsu started reading, "Dear Ranma-sama," Konatsu was interrupted by gagging noises coming from Herb. Konatsu simply rolled his eyes, and continued reading, "I found you to be very intriguing in class today. I have never been to China, and I bet you could teach me a whole lot. I'd also love to teach you all about Japan, and show you how Japanese women are different from what you are probably used to." Konatsu trailed off. "You'd better read the rest of this one yourself, actually. It gets pretty graphic."

Ranma snatched the note, and read. His ears began to turn red. "I can't believe this! I don't even know this woman, and she is practically throwing herself at me."

Herb chimed in, "you could always take her up on the offer."

"Why?"

"To get laid, perhaps? It might help you relax a bit." Herb laughed and dodged out of the way of Ranma's kick. Herb took to the roofs, laughing the whole time as Ranma gave chase.

That evening, after some ki training and doing work on the temple grounds, the three headed to a public bathhouse for a soak. Not much was said as they concentrated on scrubbing off the day's dirt and grime. Ranma headed to the tub first, to be joined in short order by Konatsu and Herb.

"What the hell was up with that Akane chick?" Ranma was scratching his head. "She had some serious anger management issues."

"Maybe she is a lesbian?" Konatsu sank further into the tub. Herb lowered himself into the tub as well, close by the ninja. The two furtively held hands underwater.

"That's funny, coming from two guys holding hands." Ranma snorted.

Herb merely shrugged. "I've come to realize that form doesn't matter. Plus, since we are both sitting in hot water, it would take too much ki to transform."

"Not to mention the other men in the place would get a real treat."

The conversation drifted naturally back to school at that point, and again to Akane. Other hypotheses were floated around the tub, but no conclusions were reached. Finally Konatsu reminded them that they had to get back to the temple, because it was his turn to cook dinner that night.

"KYAAA!! Panty thief!!" All three turned in the direction of the scream. Ranma instantly recognized the ki signature from his previous encounter.

He snarled. "Happosai!"

Herb turned to Konatsu. "Why don't you go back to the temple and get dinner ready for the monk? Ranma and I will handle this."

"I want a piece, too!"

"I promise you get him next time."

Konatsu pouted a little before asking, "How are you going to make it up to me this time?"

"Oh, you'll like how I pay you back." Herb grinned as he kissed the back of Konatsu's hand.

"You guys are just too sweet." Ranma's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Now, if you lovers are done, this guy's getting away." Ranma briefly channeled some ki, and triggered his curse. Now female, Ranma leapt to the roofs in the direction of Happosai, with Herb following closely behind.

"What a haul! Hahahahah!" Happosai was bouncing through the night, until he was bounced off the pavement due to a blindsided jump kick from Ranma.

"Hey, you old pervert! I never got to finish our last battle." Ranma leapt to the ground, taking up a ready stance.

"Brought your boyfriend tonight, honey?" Happosai picked himself up off the ground, brushing the front of his gi. "You're a lucky fellow. That has got to be one sweet piece of ass."

Herb simply smirked. He turned to Ranma, "do you mind if I play with him for a bit, _sis?_"

"Do your worst, bro."

"If I beat you, whelp, I'm going to have fun ravishing your sister."

Herb flowed. Happosai didn't waste a second.

Later, Herb and Ranma staggered home.

"You weren't lying, Ranma. That little pervert is truly skilled." Herb grimaced, favoring his right leg. "I can see why you like the idea of fighting with him."

"It's great, is it not? He has a truly unique style. His style is so agile, so adaptable. It seems very familiar to me, somehow, though." Ranma wasn't in bad shape, just a little rumpled. Herb had done a spectacular job in giving Happosai a good beating, but in the end the ancient pervert had prevailed. The damage had been done, however. When Happy had turned to Ranma, it was a quick matter to punt the old man into the stratosphere. Even so, the little troll had managed to get in a few good gropes before his departure.

"He hit you a lot harder than me. He pulls his punches for women."

"Then I suggest you face him next time as a man. His strength matches that of Mint."

"With his speed, that's a scary thought."

"Truly."

Both of them were grinning madly as they came home.

The same crowd of boys waited at the gates of Furinkan the next morning. The three simply worked their way around the crowd as they headed in.

"Hey, you guys. Wanna place a bet?"

"Hmm?"

Nabiki raced up to the trio. "I said, 'do you want to place a bet this morning?'"

Herb asked, "A bet on what, pray tell?"

Nabiki muttered under her breath. It sounded suspiciously like "Oh great, another Kuno." She quickly brightened and said "A bet on the outcome of this morning's fight."  
"Fight? Who's fighting?" Ranma was interested now.

"Every morning, this crowd of boys takes on Akane Tendo, best martial artist in Furinkan."

"Why do they fight every morning?" Ranma asked.

"Oh, you guys are new, so you might not have heard yet." The girl thought for a moment. "Well, this one's free. Who ever beats her gets to date her. These guys are all hopeful suitors."

The three Chinese students look at each other. Konatsu spoke first. "That explains her hostility. We will not bet, Ms...?"

"Tendo. Tendo Nabiki. If you change your mind, you can always find me or one of the students with a clipboard. We accept all bets." With that, Nabiki ran off to work some other students entering the school grounds.

"Tendo, hm? That Nabiki girl must be related to Akane. Things just get more interesting, don't they? Herb, Konatsu, feel like watching the match?"

"Certainly. It will be interesting to see how she fairs against this untrained lot. But perhaps we should go to our home room first?" With that, the three stepped inside to gain a good vantage to see the fight.

They weren't disappointed. From the third story vantage point they occupied, they could see Akane charge the gates, crashing into the first wave of attackers. She wove through, lashing out at the assembled boys, not staying in any place longer than needed to deliver an incapacitating blow. It didn't take her long to deal with the crowd. A boy wearing a hakama and gi stepped out from behind a tree, and engaged Akane in combat.

Ranma narrowed his eyes. He turned to a classmate and asked, "Who's the guy with the sword?"

"Oh, that's upper classman Kuno. He's the school's undefeated kendo champ."

Ranma turned back to watch the fight. Akane would dodge and feint, while Kuno circled, always keeping the girl in the center. Kuno leaped to attack. Akane parried the over-head slice, and followed up with a quick elbow to the temple, sending the kendo artist to the ground. Akane kicked him once more for good measure, and marched into the school.

The three looked at each other, but only Herb actually voiced the question. "She's the best this school has to offer? Pathetic."

"Kuno was pulling his punches."

"You noticed that too, Ranma?"

It came as no surprise to the trio that Akane was late again. Besides her having to go stand in the hall again, class went well. Ranma received more notes, but outside of that distraction, the classes were new and interesting for him.

Ranma passed a couple of notes to the married couple before the bell for lunch rang. The two looked at him and signaled their approval. At the bell, Herb turned towards Akane and asked, "Would you like to have lunch together? We," he indicated Ranma and Konatsu, who had arrived, "would like to discuss this morning's fight with you."

"Why would I want to talk to you?" Akane asked, eyeing the three suspiciously.

"Because we are martial artists and because we asked?" Ranma pulled up a chair, and sat. Konatsu sat on top of a desk next to her. "We were just trying to be nice. Wouldn't kill you to try it, either."

"Go away. I want to eat by myself." Akane started to dig in to her lunch, watching expectantly. "Well, are you going to leave?"

"Your hostility is unwarranted, Ms. Tendo." Herb stood. "However, we will honor your request."

Ranma also stood. "Do you mind if we help out in the morning fight?"

"It's my fight. Butt out." Akane said around a mouthful of food.

"As you wish." Konatsu placed his feet on the floor, and stood. Together the three simply vanished in front of her. Akane dropped her lunch in shock. She looked around wildly, eyes wide.

"How..." Nobody else had noticed.

On the roof of the building, Herb, Konatsu, and Ranma had a good chuckle.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Ranma snorted, sending another round of laughter through the group. "Priceless. Just fucking priceless."

"Let's see how she deals with this information, shall we?" Konatsu popped a piece of pickled radish into his mouth, relishing the crunch.

Herb reached into his lunch, picking at a piece of fish. "Perhaps we should change the odds for tomorrow's fight. Let the reality of her 'supremacy' sink in."

"Sounds like a plan. When do we start?" Ranma was eager.

"First, we need to find Kuno."

Konatsu chimed in, "This will be good for her, in the end."

"How do we get around that whole beat her, date her proclamation?" Ranma stuffed a rice ball in her mouth.

Herb formed a ki blade with his right hand. "I'm sure that the crowd can be persuaded."

===============================  
I don't own any of these characters.  
Thanks for all the reviews.


	11. Right Effort, part 2

Chapter 10

"Ms. Tendo!" Akane turned around to see Konatsu running towards her from the front doors of the school. "Please wait!" Akane slowed down enough to allow the ninja to catch up. "What do you want?"

She glared at the boy.

"I wanted to warn you." Konatsu looked around, and lowered his voice. "I overheard some of the other boys at lunch today. I think they are planning something special for tomorrow's fight."

Akane looked at him through half-lidded eyes. "Why should I believe you?

"You don't have to. I was just trying to be nice." With that, Konatsu turned, and walked away. He called out over his shoulder, "You should be prepared, just in case."

* * *

Nabiki heard Akane's battle cry from the dojo before she had even left the front entrance of the Tendo house.

"I'm home!" Nabiki kicked off her shoes, and walked towards the living room.

"Oh, welcome home Nabiki!" Kasumi came out from the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. "Do you want any snacks or tea?"

"No thanks, sis." Nabiki nodded her head in the direction of the dojo, where another particularly loud scream echoed. "What's got Akane so pissed?"

Kasumi shook her head and shrugged. "Would you try and find out, Nabiki? I'd appreciate it." Kasumi turned to go back to the kitchen. "Oh, and please tell Akane that dinner will be ready in one hour, so she needs to take a bath."

"Sure thing, Kasumi."

Nabiki leaned against the door jamb and watched as Akane smashed the last cinderblock in the dojo. Still in the striking position, Akane exhaled before she relaxed. With a quick motion she rolled backwards and sprang to her feet, performing a half twist to land facing a training dummy. With a loud shout, she lashed out with a series of punch and kick combos, pounding the figure mercilessly.

Nabiki was amused and more than a little impressed that Akane kept the level of intensity up for a full ten minutes before she began to slow. She waited until Akane took a breather before shouting, "Yo, Akane! Wanna tell me what got your panties in a bunch?"

Akane paused, and spared a brief glance at her sister. "No." She turned back to the dummy and released a punishing knee to the groin, followed by a vicious jab to the throat.

"I'm hurt! You don't want to talk to your dear older sister?"

"Drop the act, Nabiki. You don't have to pretend you care."

"Ouch, Akane. I'm your sister, of course I care."

Akane didn't respond. She whipped around with a back handed blow to the dummy's cheek, and used the motion as a cover for scrutinizing her sister. The only sound in the dojo for a bit was of Akane's continued practice.

"Well, whatever. Kasumi said that dinner would be ready in an hour, so you better go bathe first." Nabiki pushed off from the jamb, and turned to leave.

"It's the new guys in my class." Akane stopped hitting the dummy, and walked over to her sister. With a sigh, she leaned against wall, and slid down, sitting on the ground. "I think they are going to do something in the fight tomorrow."

Nabiki stopped. She took a seat next to Akane. "What makes you say that?"

Akane grimaced as she remembered. "I got a warning from one of them on the way home to 'be prepared, just in case.'"

"So, why are worried, sis?" Nabiki sat down next to Akane.

Akane didn't say anything right away. She just looked across the dojo, to the pile of smashed cinderblocks. "Something happened at lunch, and it spooked me." Akane told Nabiki about the conversation she had, and how it ended.

"I've never seen anything like it, Nabiki." She pulled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs. "They just... vanished. They were there, then not." She let out a sigh, and leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes.

"What do you want me to do, Akane?"

"I don't know. I'm just..." She trailed off. "I'm scared, sis. What if I lose?"

Nabiki had no answer. After a while, she stood, and offered a hand to Akane. Accepting, Akane allowed herself to be pulled up from the ground. "Come on. I'll help you clean up the mess, so you can bathe in time for dinner."

"Thanks, Nabiki."

"No prob. Don't worry, Akane. I'll help you figure something out, promise."

Akane gave Nabiki's hand a tight squeeze before letting go.

* * *

Kuno Tatawaki was currently thinking very hard about the information he had received this afternoon. Sitting in front of a large poster of his beloved Akane Tendo, Kuno looked down to the wooden sword in his hands. He relaxed his grip, allowing the handle to roll across his palm before clenching his fist.

The poster before him was one of his favorite pictures of his tigress. She was wearing a gi, doing a high kick at some unseen target. Sweat soaked her hair, and her clothing was dirty and wrinkled. She had the most intense look on her face, with lips pulled back to vocalize her attack.

Looking at the poster, Kuno could see the wisdom of the stranger's words. The boy had been quite elegant in his speech and manner. His bearing was that of noble birth as well as a powerful fighter. Kuno was impressed in spite of his best efforts to the contrary. He hadn't said much, but his words still lingered.

"Kuno, your mockery of Akane's skill does a great disservice to her. If you value her as a marital artist, you will no longer hold back in your morning fights."

"And who are you to tell me this, knave?"

"I am Herb, Prince of the Musk. I speak as one warrior to another. Do not hold back."

Herb had been right. His goddess would accept nothing less from him than his very best. It was no wonder he had failed to win Akane's heart. By not fighting to the fullest of his abilities, he had offended her. Kuno vowed to rectify the situation.

He bowed low to the poster. "Forgive me, goddess, for what I have done and what I must do." Mind made up, Kuno stood. "I must practice."

* * *

Dinner at the temple was quite an enjoyable affair. The monk was quite pleasant to dine with. He was a vast storehouse of information, and had traveled widely before settling in Tokyo. He regaled the trio with tales of his youthful transgressions, much to the delight of all involved. For their part, the Chinese guests told stories of home, and demonstrated the curses they had acquired. The monk made some cracks about how much fun the marriage between Konatsu and Herb must be, and excused himself to go to bed.

After dinner, Ranma and Herb washed dishes as Konatsu cleared the table.

Ranma scratched his nose with her nose with her forearm. "So, who gets to go with Konatsu on the pervert hunt tonight?"

"I believe I will go, Ranma." Herb said. "You've faced him twice already." Herb scrubbed the last dish before handing it to Ranma to rinse and dry. "What will you do while we are gone?"

"I wanted to talk to the old man a bit about philosophy."

Herb nodded his head. She poured some hot water over her head before taking off into the night with Konatsu.

* * *

"Sir?" Ranma knelt outside the monk's chambers.

"Yes, young man?" The old monk slid the doors of his room back, dressed in his robe to sleep.

"I know you are about to go to sleep, but I didn't get a chance to ask you earlier. I was wondering if I could ask you some philosophical questions, if you don't mind."

"Hmm... Philosophical questions in regards to what?"

"Life. Buddhism. Martial arts. You know, easy stuff."

The old man laughed, and hopped out of bed. He was surprisingly spry for his age. "Just a second, young one." He stepped to the edge of the room, and slid inside the pair of slippers waiting outside. "Let's walk for a bit. The night air is beautiful, isn't it?"

Ranma walked silently beside him. "Sir?"

"Please, Saotome-kun. Call me Shinran."

"Shinran? Like the founder of Rengekyo?"

Shinran smiled. "Yes, but different characters." The two reached the veranda overlooking the garden. "You and your friends did nice work here." Shinran gestured over the grounds. "I hope you decide to stay awhile. I miss having people around." He sat, feet hanging over the edge.

"So, Ranma-kun, what would you like to talk about on this fine evening?"

"What's it like?"

Shinran smiled, "What is what like, Ranma?"

"You know," Ranma motioned with his hands, pointing out the monks garments. "To do what you do. To change perspective and take the tonsure."

"For me, it was an easy decision. But, it is different for everyone. Some find it quite hard. Why do you ask?"

"I find myself wondering if I can live according to the virtues." Ranma sighed.

Shinran slowly raised a hand, and placed it Ranma's shoulder. "You are young yet. The fact that you think about shows that one day, maybe, you will know your answer." The monk paused. "Do you want some advice, Ranma?"

"Yes."

"My first piece of advice; never listen to some old man." Ranma cracked a wry grin in response." Shinran smiled, and then waggled his finger. "My second piece of advice; just live. Do your best, but don't worry so much about it. Try and live by the teachings, of course, but you don't have to get it right in this life."

Ranma looked out over the garden, watching as the moon rose above the walls of the temple. "You're right. It really is a pretty night."

"Isn't it?" Shinran stretched his arms above his head. "You don't play go by any chance, do you, Ranma?"

"I've learned, but never had time to play much."

"Fancy a game?"

Ranma smiled. "I'd love it. First, you have to tell me your handicap."

"I'll spot you nine stones."

Ranma stared. "Pretty confident, aren't you?"

Shinran got up and returned with the board and stones. He only answered with an enigmatic smile.

The game got underway with no further conversation. Shinran was true to his word.

* * *

On the other side of town, other combatants were locked in just a serious a struggle.

"Don't worry ladies; I'll take care of these precious darlings for you!" Happosai leapt into the night, bag of illicitly gotten garments on his back.

Herb motioned to Konatsu, who watched the old man disappear in the distance with a nod. The two leapt to pursue. It would have been hard to follow him if not for the shouts of enraged women that arose along his path.  
As the pair neared Happosai, Konatsu suddenly crouched and vanished. Herb knew what to expect, but Happosai certainly wasn't ready for the knee that appeared out of thin air that sent him crashing to the pavement below.

Rubbing the bump forming on the top of his head, Happosai looked at his assailant. "How could you, you hoodlum? Attack an old man just out for an evening stroll? What has this country come to?" Happosai continued lamenting the youth of Japan for a little longer.

Konatsu didn't say anything. Herb dropped to the ground behind Happosai, closing down one avenue of escape.

"Ohh, I see." Happy looked at Herb and then back to Konatsu. "What happened to your cute sister? She too busy whoring to play with grandpa tonight?" Happosai dropped his bag of underwear, and started to limber up a bit. "Make sure you tell her I want my piece too. This old man's got needs, ya' know."

Konatsu spoke for the first time. "It is my turn to play tonight, Happosai. Shall we dance?"

"Just a second, young whelp." He took a sideways stance, trying to take in both attackers at once. "Are you both going to attack me tonight, or what?"

Herb shook his head. "No. We shall challenge you one at a time only. We have a high regard for your skill, and look forward to the challenge."

Happosai snorted. "You mean you look forward to having your ass handed to you." He looked back and forth between the pair. He pointed at Konatsu. "Are you going first tonight, girly-boy?"

"I am."

"What's your name?"

"Konatsu Kenzan, Ninja and member of the Chinese Amazons."

Happy pointed to Herb. "And yours?"

"I am Herb, Prince of the Musk."

"Hmmm... An Amazon and the Musk, hm... This could be more fun than I thought." Happy turned back to face Konatsu. "I trust Herb will wait for the results of this fight before attacking?"

"I will, Happosai."

"Did Ku Lon put you up to this?"

The pair looked at each other. Konatsu replied first. "You know Elder Ku Lon?"

"Lon-chan and I used to be real close, if you catch my drift." Happosai winked.

Konatsu tried not to let the surprise show. "No, she didn't put us up to this."

"Then why?"

Konatsu shrugged, and his reaction was mirrored by Herb. "Training. Protecting those who can't protect themselves," Konatsu said.

"Well, at least one of those causes is noble. The weak will just have to deal." Happosai removed the handkerchief tied under his nose. "Anyway, enough talk. Let's dance."

Konatsu and Happy leaped at each other, trading a blow in passing. Happy sank to a knee, while Konatsu stood strong. Until he heard the snickering from Herb, that is. When Konatsu looked down, he found himself clad in a girl's high school outfit, complete with short skirt and knee socks.

"That's more fitting for you." Happosai smirked as he stood, wiping a little blood from the corner of his mouth. He frowned as he registered the wound. "You're good."

Konatsu bowed slightly. He motioned his get up. "You are better, though. I look forward to this fight."

"Good attitude kid. I might learn to like you little panty-wastes eventually."

"We are flattered to hear that, you old bag."

The battle began.

* * *

Ranma was losing his second game of go soundly when Konatsu and Herb staggered in. Konatsu looked absolutely haggard. They plopped down on the veranda, and simply watched for a second.

Ranma nodded to them. "I take it you went first, Konatsu?"

The ninja nodded. He gestured to the board as Shinran place another stone.

"You are faring about as well as we did against Happosai tonight."

"Yeah, and this is with a nine stone spot."

"Ouch." Both Konatsu and Herb looked at Shinran with a great deal of respect.

"Perhaps we can play sometime, Sir." Herb bowed low.

"Call me Shinran, please."

"Then perhaps we can play at sometime, Shinran."

The monk nodded his head slightly. The game ended pretty quickly after that, as even Ranma had to acknowledge the hopelessness of the situation.

* * *

"Happosai is holding back against us." Herb nodded in agreement with Konatsu's statement. The three were getting ready for bed. They had decided to share a room tonight so that they could discuss tomorrow's plan of attack.

"How can you tell?" Ranma was intrigued.

"His opening attack was... phenomenal. He only fights with as much force as necessary to win. He enjoys humiliation more than victory." Ranma trusted Konatsu's judgment in a fight even better than his own. Ranma was good, but Konatsu was brilliant in ways that he could never match.

"Seems fitting for a pervert like him." Ranma suddenly remembered something. "Your description of his style sounds exactly like what my dad used to tell me. It encourages your opponents to fight harder. That way, you get better, too, and they are willing to accept more punishment because they think they have a chance." Ranma laid back on his futon. "How much do you think he's holding back?"

"He was probably only showing about eighty percent of his true skills." Both Herb and Ranma thought about that. All three started to grin.

Ranma exclaimed, "That's wonderful news!"

"I thought you would like to hear that."

Herb cut in, "So about tomorrow?"

The three began to plan. This was almost as much fun as Happosai.

* * *

Akane was nervous during her walk to school the next day. For some reason, the warning Konatsu had given her made her dread facing the morning duel. Akane grimaced. She was doing it again; she was psyching herself out before the match had even begun.

The gates of the school were drawing near. The horde of boys was no where to be seen.

She was a little shocked when the Ranma, Konatsu and Herb stepped out of the gates and strode determinedly in her direction. She dropped her bag and immediately took up a defensive posture.

"You three think you can take me?"

They stopped just out of attacking range. They looked at her, and then at each other. Herb spoke for the group. "We just wanted to wish you good luck today. We have no wish to participate." With that, the three stepped aside.

"You go ahead of me. I don't trust any of you, and I definitely don't want you behind me."

"Wise choice, Ms. Tendo. If you stay outside the gates, you can watch as we enter the building. That way you can be assured that we have no ill wishes."

Akane only sniffed. She waited till the trio had started walking in the direction of the school. "Um.. Herb, was it?"

"Yes, Ms. Tendo?"

"Thanks, I guess?" She pointed at her bag. "Umm... Can one of you take this up to my seat?"

"It would be our pleasure." Herb bowed. "Good luck again, Ms. Tendo."

Ranma spoke, "I'd watch out for Kuno. He seems extremely focused today."

"I can deal with that pervert no problem." Akane brushed her hair back, and pulled it into a pony tail.

Ranma merely nodded. With that, the three walked into the school. Akane didn't move until they had gone inside the building, and she saw their faces appear in the third story windows.

* * *

"Was that unusually cruel of us? She now doubts herself." Herb watched as Akane took a hesitant step towards the gates.

"She is afraid of the unknown we represent." Ranma pointed to the assembled mass of boys below. While they had told Akane they would not participate in the brawl, it didn't stop them from giving the horde of suitors a quick lesson in tactics. They had little chance of success, but Akane would have to work much harder than normal today. She would also have to think.

"The rest depends on Kuno."

Herb smirked as Kuno rounded the corner of the building, his bandana around his head. "I don't think we need to worry about him today."

* * *

Akane was almost one third of the way between the front gates and the entrance to the school before the mass struck. They were still an untrained mob, but given a little guidance, a mob can be a powerful force.

The fight opened with the soccer and baseball teams unleashing a barrage of ranged attacks from behind. Akane was certainly not expecting it, and she took several hard hits to the back and a baseball to the head before she reacted. She turned to face the barrage, when two flanking masses of melee fighters closed in. She was quickly forced on the defensive. If she tried to work her way out of the melee, the ranged attackers were waiting to unload.

Inside the scrum, the picture wasn't much better. The group was coordinating their attacks, working on bringing her down. The football players would attempt to tackle her legs, while the sumo wrestlers and kendo club struck hard and fast.

* * *

Up on the third floor, Nabiki winced as her sister took a hard blow to the back. She was truly worried. She knew that Akane would take out the first group, but she definitely wouldn't be able to deal with Kuno. Her mind was racing, trying to think of someway out of this predicament.

* * *

The last of the melee fighter went down, clutching a broken nose. Akane, in her fear, anger, and pain, was lashing out much harder than normal. She was forced to duck as soon as the attacker went down to dodge some baseballs that whizzed through the space she had just occupied.

With a growl, she ran in a zigzag pattern to circle around to the first archer.

* * *

Ranma smiled. "Nice. She is trying to make sure that only one person has a clean line at her at any time."

Konatsu also smirked. "This fight has lasted much longer than normal. Plus, she's taken a lot more shots than ever before. She's dead meat when she gets to Kuno."

Herb nodded and pointed at the figure in question. "Here he comes."

* * *

Akane was gasping for breath. Her back hurt all over, and her vision was a little blurry from the sweat and the first baseball she had taken in the back of the head. After taking out the last baseball player, she turned to face Kuno.

She wanted to cry.

She had never seen him this focused. There was no poetry, no ramblings. He simply strode up, the arms of his gi tied back, bandana on his head. His aura was visibly manifesting itself.

He stopped just outside of striking range. He nodded once, before saying, "For you Akane, I will do what pains me." He moved to engage.

His strikes were like lightning. Akane moved as fast as she could, but blows were coming though the lapses in her guard. She bit back a scream as a strike slipped past her guard to nail her in the thigh. Another one tagged her on the shoulder. She attempted to back flip away, only to be caught by a stunning blow across the back.

* * *

Nabiki was flipping out. Kuno was trashing her little sister. Not only was she going to lose a pant-load of money on this mornings bets, but her sister was going to be forced into dating this moron.

So, she did the only thing she could. Before she acted, she murmured to herself, "Forgive, me Akane."

* * *

Akane was going to lose. She could see that. She was bruised all over, and Kuno was landing hits when ever he wanted. She certainly wasn't expecting salvation to arrive in the form of her sister.

"Yo Kuno, want to see a picture of Akane in the bath?"

Kuno whipped his head around to look at Nabiki. Akane poured every last bit of remaining strength into a devastating roundhouse that sent Kuno crashing into the side of the school, out like a light.

* * *

"Damn." Ranma snapped his fingers. "Oh well. That was a hell of a fight she put up. Shall we go see her?"

Herb and Konatsu both nodded.

* * *

Akane sank to the ground, panting in exhaustion. She had no strength when Ranma, Konatsu, and Herb picked her up and carried her to the nurse's office. Nabiki briefly surveyed the carnage before her, before yelling at the stunned student body.

"Somebody better call an ambulance. I think we have some broken bones out here." With that, she turned to run after her sister.

* * *

Akane broke down once she was in the nurse's office, clutching Nabiki's shoulder and sobbing. She was a mess. Her uniform was torn and dirty, and bruises adorned most of her body. She continued to cry hysterically for nearly fifteen minutes before she passed out from exhaustion.

Ranma, Konatsu, Herb, and Nabiki watched as she slept. Nabiki looked at the three boys, and then motioned for them to follow her out of the room.

Anger flashed in her eyes. She whispered, "All right, you three, what's up? I know you were behind this, somehow." She brimming, wanting to tear into someone.

Herb simply looked her. He allowed a little bit of his ki to surge, enough for Nabiki to forget her anger and feel a little bit of fear. "Keep a civil tongue, Ms. Tendo. There was a very good reason for this."

Nabiki was only temporarily cowed. "Don't fuck with me or my family, buddy, or I will make your life hell."

"We weren't 'fucking' with your family, Ms. Tendo." Herb pointed back to the sleeping figure of Akane. "We wanted to help her."

"Oh, so you figured you'd just help the perverts of this school beat the crap out of her?"

Ranma jumped in. "Yes."

Nabiki's head whipped around to stare at him. "What did you say?"

"I answered your question, Ms. Tendo." Ranma used his thumbs to point at his co-conspirators. "She claims to be and wants to be a martial artist. She needs to be willing to face the seriousness of that lifestyle."

"Oh, and I suppose you are?"

"I am, and I have. There is no questioning my dedication to the Art. Nor can you question Herbs, or Konatsu's. Anyone of us would be willing to lay our lives and manhood on the line, and we have done so repeatedly. If your sister wants that path, she needs to learn how hard it can be."

Nabiki reached back and slapped him. Ranma didn't even blink. Nabiki cursed as she clutched her hand in pain.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Ms. Tendo, I am going to tend to your sister. Even though I may be young, I am quite a skilled physician." With that, Ranma stepped passed Nabiki to tend to Akane.

Nabiki was close to tears with frustration. Konatsu placed a hand on her shoulder. "We mean only the best. Believe us. This morning's incident will not happen again. I can promise on my honor."

Nabiki brushed his hand off. "You just better make sure it doesn't."

Ranma called out from the examination room. "She will be fine, but do you have a normal doctor you visit? I feel it would be better she woke up under the care of someone she was familiar with."

Nabiki stared at the pigtailed boy for a second. Finally, she answered, "Yeah, Doctor Tofu. His office isn't far from here."

Ranma gently picked up Akane. "Lead the way, then Ms. Tendo."

* * *

To all the reviewers, thanks.  
The issue of who 'gets' ranma is settled. And no, it isn't going to turn out like anyone hopes.  
  
I wanted to apologize - i don't like writing battle scenes much, it isn't a talent I think I posses. I do try, but like to leave the actual details to the imaginations of the readers.  
  
I personally think Happosai is the best character. He is pretty complex, for all his simple desires. Capable of extreme wisdom and folly in two seconds. absolute powerhouse in marital arts, but squanders it for the sake of pleasures of the flesh. I am conviniced that if he would only focus, he could probably soundly trounce Ku Lon. Plus, he is DAMN funny.  
  
Hope you liked the chapter!  
  



	12. Right Effort, part 3

Chapter 11.

Akane awoke with a groan. She slowly opened her eyes to stare in to the florescent light on the ceiling above.

"How are you feeling, Akane-chan?"

"Dr. Tofu?" Akane sat up and cringed as her back protested. Dr. Tofu adjusted the examination table behind her, and then placed his hands on her shoulders and gently forced her to recline.

"You might not want to do that right now. You will be in a lot of pain for a while."

Akane nodded. She looked around briefly, and confirmed that she was in Tofu's clinic. "How'd I get here, doctor? I remember falling asleep in the nurse's office at school."

"That boy Ranma from your class carried you here. He thought it might help you relax if you woke up in a familiar environment. According to him, you had quite the fight today."

At that moment Ranma walked in carrying a tray of tea. Nabiki followed, scowling at the pigtailed boy the whole time. "Ah, Ranma, perfect timing." Tofu accepted a tea cup that Ranma offered, and he passed it to Akane. "Drink this; it will help ease the soreness." Nabiki sat on the end of the examination table, while Ranma simply stood slightly behind where Tofu sat.

Akane nodded, and took a sip and made a face. Tofu watched as she drank. "Finish all, okay?" The tea was bitter and medicinal, but she continued to nurse it until she finished. She handed the cup back to Tofu, who gave it to Ranma.

"Ranma, do you mind washing this, please? I am going to examine Akane for a bit." Ranma nodded and left, leaving just Tofu and the girls.

"Akane, do you want to tell me what happened?" Tofu adjusted his glasses and waited. Slowly, the story came out as Akane began to relive the fight. Nabiki chipped in, offering other details from her perspective of an observer. When they finished, Tofu examined Akane's head and eyes to check for a concussion, and then asked her to pull her shirt up so he could checked her back where Kuno had stuck her during the back flip.

"Hmm. You seem to be okay. You might experience blood in your urine for a bit, though. Kuno really got a good shot on your kidneys." Tofu continued the exam, looking for anything out of place. "I want to you watch very carefully for me, okay? I don't think you have any internal bleeding, but if start having any difficulty breathing or see unexplained abdominal bruises, I want you to go to the hospital right away, understand?"

Akane nodded. Tofu instructed the girl to get dressed again.

"You can come in now, Ranma. I'm done with the exam." Ranma entered the room and just stood just behind the doctor. "I don't want you to go back to school today, Okay, Akane? I'll write a note for your teachers. Nabiki will be able to give it to them when she goes back."

"Thank you, Sensei."

Tofu smiled. "Don't worry about it." He stood. "Do you think you can walk?"

Akane gave a hesitant nod, and swung her legs over the side of the table. The twisting motion caused pains to shoot along her spine. She stifled a yelp, but everyone present noticed. Slowly she slid off the table, and lowered her feet to the ground. When both feet had touched down, she stood, but almost immediately fell as her leg cramped up from one of Kuno's strikes.

"Hmm..." Tofu had a frown on his face. "Do you want crutches?"

Akane shook her head.

"I can help, Akane, if you wish." Both sisters turned to look at Ranma. Nabiki did so with a glare, but Akane winced. Her head was still tender from the first hit she had experienced. "It wouldn't be a problem for me to carry you to your house." Ranma paused, trying to gauge the hostility from the pair. "After all, I carried you here."

Tofu spoke up before either girl could protest. "I think that would be wonderful, Ranma. I'll let you borrow a stretcher so that Nabiki can help."

"Thank you, Doctor." Nabiki's tone was less than pleased.

"Okay, then just let me write some excuses and off you go." Tofu went to his office for some paper, and returned in shortly. He passed a note to Ranma and two to Nabiki. "I want you to take a hot bath when you get home to help relax your muscles, okay, Akane?" He then handed Akane a small tub of ointment. "After your bath, have your sister rub this into your muscles. It will help with the soreness considerably."

"Yes, Sensei."

"Oh, and Ranma, will you drop the stretcher off on your way back to school?"

"Of course, Sensei."

* * *

When Akane was loaded into the stretcher, Nabiki and Ranma both took an end and lifted. Ranma took the lead, carrying the portion bearing Akane's torso, the heavier of the two ends.

Ranma asked, "So, how far is it to your place from here?"

"Not far. Turn left." Nabiki said little else besides giving directions. Ranma attempted to talk to Akane, but she wasn't feeling talkative, either. The rhythmic swaying of the stretcher soon put the girl to sleep.

They arrived at the Tendo home in a few minutes. Ranma supported his side of the stretcher with one hand and knocked on the door. A young woman answered, dressed in a plain dress and apron.

"Yes, can I help you young man?"

Nabiki spoke up. "Hey sis, it's me. We need to get Akane inside."

Kasumi looked past Ranma's shoulders to see Akane asleep in stretcher behind him.

"Oh my! Come in, come in!"

Nabiki explained what happened as they took off their shoes at the entrance.

* * *

Nabiki was helping Akane get into the tub and soak as Tofu had ordered. Ranma knelt at the table in the tea room as Kasumi served tea. Ranma bowed as the hostess placed his tea before him. "I am pleased to meet you in person, Ms. Tendo."

"Oh, we've talked before?"

"I called on the phone a few days prior. I was looking for a friend of my fathers, if you recall."

"Oh yes, Mr. Saotome. I remember now. Have you had any luck?"

"Not yet. I was wondering if you ever get a chance to inquire with your father." Ranma picked up his tea and took a sip. "This is very good tea, Ms. Tendo."

"Thank you, Mr. Saotome." Kasumi sat opposite the boy. "I completely forgot to ask our father. Should I go inquire now? He is currently out in the Dojo."

Ranma bowed again. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd really appreciate it."

* * *

Akane relaxed in the tub with a sigh. Nabiki sat on the edge of the tub, still clothed just to keeping her sister company. She was furious, though.

"That boy has got balls the size of Godzilla." Nabiki grumbled for a bit more.

Akane blushed at the image, but quickly spoke up. "Why do you say that, sis?" Akane turned her neck slightly so she could look directly at Nabiki.

"He practically admitted to setting up this morning's debacle and now here he is being all nice and shit. I don't like it at all."

"He wasn't even there, Nabiki. How did he take part?"  
Nabiki just looked at her sister. "Are you dense? You don't have to physically take part in something to participate." Nabiki sighed. "Who do you think inspired the mob to try different tactics this morning? They almost worked. Also, somebody had to of gotten Kuno fired up, too."

Akane shrugged. "Do you want to know what he told me in the nurse's office?"

"I probably can't afford your price." Akane smirked.

Nabiki splashed Akane lightly. "Har har har. This one's free." She stood, and began to pace around the bath. "He said, 'she claims to be and wants to be a martial artist. She needs to be willing to face the seriousness of that lifestyle.'" Nabiki continued on, launching into a full length tirade about how she was going to make those idiots regret messing with her family.

Akane stopped listening after a while. She was lost in thought. Nabiki stopped ranting when she saw Akane's eyes glaze over. She waited until Akane got out of the bath, helped the girl rub ointment on her back and left while she was getting dressed.

* * *

Ranma simply sat at the table, awaiting Kasumi's return. He wasn't expecting a middle-aged man with a mustache to return with his hostess. Ranma immediately sprung to his feet, bowing to the master of the house.

"I'm Tendo Soun."

"Saotome Ranma. I am very pleased to meet you."

"What did you say your father's name is?"  
"Ah, my father? Genma. Genma Saotome."

Ranma wasn't prepared to be wrapped up in a crushing hug from the mustachioed water fountain called Soun.

* * *

"So you see Mr. Tendo, I don't really even know why I was supposed to find you." Ranma stopped talking and took a sip of his tea. He had just explained the story behind his father's demise, and why he was looking for the Tendo family.

Soun sat across from Ranma at the table. Soun said nothing. Tears streamed down his face as he listened to Ranma. The Tendo patriarch stood and walked around the table to the hall, facing away and overlooking the garden.

"So Genma never had a chance to teach you his school of martial arts?"

"He taught me some basic tenets of the Anything Goes Martial Arts, but most of what I know I have learned from my travels. As a result, I really don't have any particular style."

Soun sighed. "So you know nothing about our agreement?"

"What agreement would that be, Mr. Tendo?"

Soun merely waved the question away. "Would you like to join me in the Dojo? I would like to say a few prayers for your father."

Ranma nodded and followed Soun's retreating form. Ranma was duly impressed by the size of the dojo. Soun bowed towards the shrine in the corner upon entering. Ranma followed his example, and together the two walked to the shrine and knelt. Soun lit some incense and brought his hands together at chest height, palms touching. He closed his eyes, and sat in quite contemplation for a few minutes. Ranma did not disturb him. He had long ago dealt with the pain of his father's death, but even still, it was hard to be alone.

"So, what are your plans now, Ranma?" The question took the boy by surprise.

"I will probably stay in school here for a while, before I leave for other parts of the country." Ranma, still kneeling, placed his hands on his knees and looked around the dojo. "My friends and I are looking for places and people to train with, and I want to find my mother."

Soun nodded. "I may be able to help you find your mother, at least. And as for training..." Soun just trailed off, and gestured to the dojo around him.

Ranma shifted his position on the floor until he was facing Soun. He placed his hands on the ground, making a triangle between his pointer fingers and thumbs, and bowed low.

"Ranma." The boy looked up at Soun, who was still facing the shrine. "Care to explain the role you and your friends had in the incident at school today?"

Ranma turned his body so that he was parallel with Soun, facing the shrine. "We did it because the Art is our life." Soun's face tightened some, but that was the only response Ranma received. Silence reigned for almost a minute before Ranma spoke again. "The three of us, Konatsu, Herb, and me, have devoted almost our entire lives to perfection of the Art." He paused, and cast a brief glance at the patriarch. "We've all had to lose something we held dear to get to where we are. I lost my dad. Konatsu lost his family. Herb gave up his... his sense of self and is willing to give up a kingdom, but his sense of responsibility and we his friends forbid it." Ranma shrugged. "We wanted to make sure that Akane was doing it for the right reasons."

"What reasons would those be, boy?"

"To me, the Art is not about being able to best someone. It is about ensuring that you can protect others and live in a manner that brings good to those around you. It means making your self better, so that you can help more. Sometimes, it means you have to shatter illusions, like today."

"Why do you feel that you have that right?"

"I have the right as much as Siddhattha did. I perceived a problem, and I perceived a possible solution. Which is worse? Allowing suffering to continue without end, or undergo pain to end the suffering?"

"You are far from the sage he was."

"Even he had to start somewhere. I am just trying to follow the right path."

Soun said nothing for a while. Ranma simply waited.

"What would you have Akane understand?"  
"More than I understand or could ever teach. I just know fighting isn't always the answer. In fact, it rarely is." Soun merely nodded. Ranma continued, "That doesn't mean there is no place for it, just that recognizing when is often half the battle."

"What about the Art?"

"That it is a way of life, not a means to the end."

Ranma bowed to the shrine again, turned to Soun. He bowed once again, and made motions to stand. "Forgive me, Mr. Tendo. I might have acted rashly, but my gut reaction tells me that it was right. Seeing the way your daughter regarded the morning fights made me and my friends want to help." Ranma stood, and walked to the entrance to the Dojo. He turned once again, and bowed.

Before he came out of the bow, Soun spoke. "Would you like to learn about your father's school of the Art?"

Ranma looked up, "I would."

"Then stay, I will introduce you to his master."

Soun stood after bowing to the shrine. "I have one other thing to ask, Ranma."

"Yes, Mr. Tendo?"

"Are you licensed to teach?"

"No. But my friend Herb is the Master of Musk School of Martial Arts."

"Could you convince him to teach Akane until you master the Anything Goes School?"

"If you would allow me to participate."

Soun nodded.

* * *

Ranma followed Soun upstairs and waited while he knocked on a door.

"Master?"

"What is it, Soun? I'm busy."

"There is someone I think you should meet."

Happosai slid the door back, holding an Iron in one hand. "This had better be good, Soun. My pretties are waiting."

Soun gestured to Ranma. "This is Genma's son."

Happosai listened as Ranma related the story of Genma's demise once again. "Sorry to hear about your father, boy. Genma always was a bit of an idiot, though. Doesn't surprise me." Happosai pulled out his pipe, and took a drag. He blew a cloud of smoke into Ranma's face. "So, you don't know much about our school." Ranma nodded. "And Soun, you want me to teach this fool?"

"I do, Master."

"Why?"

"I will explain my reasons later, if I can, Master."

Happosai looked at Soun before another drag on his pipe.

"Well, if I am going to teach you, we might as well see how good you are, boy. Follow me to the Dojo."

"Perhaps we can take this outside, instead Master Happosai? I don't want to destroy any of Mr. Tendo's property."

Happosai snorted. "As you wish, Ranma. It won't make a difference either way."

* * *

Ranma jumped to the garden and took up a relaxed stance. Happosai tapped his pipe out on a stone, and ground the embers out with his heel. "I will warn you, Ranma. I give no quarter."  
Ranma smirked. "I would have it no other way."

Akane finished dressing and was shuffling her way down the hall when she heard voices in the garden. She walked down the hall to see her father standing on the veranda watching the commotion in the garden. She stood next to him and peered out to the garden.

What she saw took her by surprise. That Ranma boy from school was facing off against Master Happosai, but neither was moving. Suddenly, the two forms seemed to fade, and a loud smack was heard. Akane didn't even time to register what had happened before the combatants became solid again. Ranma was now wearing a bra over his Chinese shirt, and Happosai was rubbing the top of his head, eyes watering. Ranma looked down. He shook his head, and grinned.

"Hmm... I'm impressed. You actually managed to tag me before I got that on."

"Do you want the bra back?"

Happy smirked. "You like it?"

"Not really." Ranma quickly removed the article, and tossed it to the veranda. "Ah well, I couldn't expect an amateur like you to appreciate such a masterpiece."

Ranma launched himself into the air, and Happosai quickly followed suit. A red blur and a black blur began moving faster than her eyes could track around the garden, bouncing off stones, the wall, the trees, and before taking off into the air and bouncing away from each other.

The shapes resolved themselves into Happosai and Ranma. Akane gasped.

"Not bad, Ranma. Did that worthless lout Genma teach you that?"

"I was mostly self-taught. Traveled a lot and pick up things here and there." The two blurred again, and the roar of exchanging blows once again filled the garden.

Akane was speechless. She tugged on her father's gi, pointing at the two, mouth working up and down with out sound coming out.

"Yes, Akane?"

She just continued to point and stare, still tugging on his gi.

"What is it, dear?"

No sound came out. She just continued to watch the spectacle until the red blur that was Ranma came crashing to the ground, creating a small crater in the garden. Happosai touched down lightly on top of the garden wall.

"That it, boy?"

Ranma climbed out of the crater, brushed off his shirt, and cricked his neck quickly to pop it. "Not a chance, old man. You just caught me by surprise. It won't happen again."

"Cheeky lil' prick, ain't you?"

Ranma smiled. He went into a horse stance, legs spread and knees bent, arms bent and pulled into his side. With a long intake of breath, he let out a loud "HAA" before vanishing.

Happosai found out exactly where he vanished to relatively quickly as the boy's knee ended buried in the back of his head. Happosai crashed into the crater Ranma had just vacated. The old pervert sat up, surreptitiously rubbing the back of his head and grumbling.

Ranma occupied the place on the wall Happosai had just been. "Just returning the favor, Happosai."

"Touché. Alright boy, you've pissed me off. Hope you like pain."

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Just remember you said that, boy." Ranma became slightly nervous in response to the evil grin on the face of Happosai.

* * *

The match continued for nearly an hour. Happosai always had the upper hand, but he just enjoyed punishing Ranma too much to allow the fun end. When Ranma's stamina began to give, Happosai unleashed a wicked barrage of attacks that pummeled the boy into submission.

Ranma tried a desperate last punch that Happosai stopped with his pipe, sending the boy flying into the air with a vicious spin. He slammed into the ground hard, and didn't manage to sit up for a few minutes.

"Well, that's it, then." Happosai, for his part, was winded. Damn if the boy wasn't good.

Ranma groaned when he finally managed to sit up. His head was swimming, but even still, he looked happy. "So, how much were you holding back, Happosai?"

The old man was sitting in a lotus position on a rock in the garden, taking a drag from his pipe. "You noticed?"

"Yeah." Ranma paused as he looked at the old man. "Whoa, cool! Double vision!" With that, Ranma fainted and fell back.

Happosai smirked. "I thought you might like that."

* * *

Akane simply watched the fight with a growing sense of unreality. Disbelief was plainly written across her face. Nabiki passed the fight on her way back to school, and was captivated as well. Together, Nabiki, Akane, and Soun sat on the veranda and watched as Ranma put up his best fight.

Nabiki stood after Ranma was slammed into the ground from Happosai's pipe throw. Contemplating what she had seen, Nabiki left to go back to school. She needed to talk to the boy's friends. If they were anywhere near as strong as this Ranma boy, she wanted them on her side.

For Akane, comprehension had stopped long ago. The combatants were moving too fast for her to see the actual fight. Eventually, she became lost in the almost hypnotic motions of the blurs weaving across the garden, and used her imagination to try and piece together the battle from the sounds of the exchanged blows.

Soun was capable of following the battle. Ranma had spoken true. He had practically no knowledge of the school of Anything goes, and that is ultimately why Happosai pounded him. But, Soun watched as Ranma began to incorporate Happosai's style into his own over the course of the fight. The boy was gifted and innovative, quickly compensating for Happosai's unpredictable style by constantly mixing as many fighting styles as he could. When the fight ended, Soun let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The wheels in his head were spinning. There was hope yet.

* * *

Soun carried the boy inside to the guest room upstairs. Kasumi helped spread out some bedding, and Soun gently placed the boy down on the futon.

"Do you need any help, father?"

"No Kasumi. Could you call the Master up here, please?"

Soun had just finished pulling the cover over Ranma when Happosai came into the room.

"What do you want, Soun?" Happosai listened to Soun's for a bit, and started laughing. "This is too rich. You sure know how to keep your old master amused, don't you Soun?"

* * *

Ranma gained consciousness sometime after the two had vacated the room. He was helped down to the living room by Soun, were Happosai and Akane were seated around the table. Kasumi was serving tea. The pigtailed boy sat, and accepted a cup of tea and a couple aspirin from the eldest Tendo daughter. Saying thanks, the boy swallowed the pills.

Happosai waited until Ranma was settled before going debriefing Ranma about previous. Soun listened and nodded, occasionally interjecting to pointing out things he had seen. Akane merely sipped her tea, and Kasumi joined them after finishing the service.

Ranma simply nodded occasionally, and held an icepack to his forehead. Each nod produced a wince, but he made no complaints. Ranma's ears perked up at Happosai's last question.

"Until such time as I can learn my father's branch of the school of Anything Goes, I'd be honored to be your student, Master Happosai."

"Good. Training starts tomorrow."

Akane jumped in. "Happosai!"

The old man turned and stared. "What is it, Akane?"

"Can I train too?"

"No."

"Why not?" Akane started to get angry.

"You aren't good enough for me to waste my time with you."

She was really angry now. Soun coughed, drawing her attention. "How much would she have to improve before you considered training her, Master? After all, the Tendo School needs an heir."

"Hmm..." The old man rubbed his chin. He took out his pipe, taking a slow drag before exhaling a cloud of smoke over the table. "She can't even jump yet, Soun. She's pretty hopeless." The old man got up from the table, and started back to his room.

Akane slumped. "Grandpa Happosai, how good would I have to be before you would train me."

The old man just waved over his shoulder. "Saaa..."

* * *

Ranma headed back to school carrying the stretcher Tofu had loaned him. At the entrance he bowed once to Soun, once to Akane, and once to the dojo before heading out. Akane sat at the table, ignoring her tea, going over the events of the day. Soun joined her, and the two merely stared at each other for a bit.

"Dad?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I want that."

"What exactly is that, dear?"

"I want to be that good. I want Happosai to take me seriously."

"You have a long way to go before you reach that level, Akane."

Soun took a sip of his tea. Akane pushed hers aside, and stood up. "Can you train me?"

The Tendo patriarch took a sip of his tea to hide his smile. "When do you want to start?"

"What about now? If I have a long way to go, doesn't help to put it off. Plus, it will help with the soreness, too."

* * *

Nabiki barely noticed her return to school. She was so lost in thought that she nearly screamed when Konatsu suddenly dropped out of the sky to land beside her. Clutching her breast, Nabiki turned to the some-times kuno-ichi and nearly screamed, "Don't do that!"

Konatsu bowed briefly. "Forgive me. I meant not to startle you." Together, the two began to walk slowly towards the front entrance of the school. "How fares your sister?"

"She has bruised ego and some nasty bumps. That's about it."

Konatsu nodded. "Do not be angry with us, Ms. Tendo. We meant the only the best."

Nabiki snorted. "Are you guys as good as Ranma?"

Konatsu shrugged. "Our strengths lie in different areas, Ms. Tendo."

"Good dodge. You didn't answer my question."  
"Herb is stronger than either of us, but in terms of pure skill..."

"Ahh. So basically, you guys are not to be messed with, right."

"We do not wish enemies. We simply wanted to help your sister achieve her full potential. If she truly cares about the Art, we will assist her, just as we would assist any so driven."  
"Does that include Kuno? Are you going to help him, too?"

"We already have, Ms. Tendo. I know Ranma wishes to help anyone with interest. I agree, although Herb is a little more... discriminatory in whom he chooses to help."

Nabiki watched Konatsu from the corner of her eye as he spoke. She didn't know the boy at all, but she felt he was telling the truth. "If I didn't know better, I would think you guys were just dumb. I know that isn't the case, so what is your motivation to do this?"

"The motivation is simply to help others. I blame Ranma for that." Konatsu smiled. "Ranma is tries to do too much. That means Herb and I get dragged along for the ride. At least we have a good time." With that, Konatsu crouched and vanished. Nabiki stifled a gasp. She took a long time returning to class.

* * *

Ranma dropped the stretcher off, and had a brief discussion with Tofu about Happosai. The doctor told him what Ranma already knew; the old man was devious as sin, lecherous as a demon, and one hell of a martial artist. With a bow of thanks and promises to check in regularly, Ranma left and headed back to school.

Back at school, class was subdued when Ranma entered alone. He was ostentatiously ignored by the rest of the class, but Herb and Konatsu both glanced in his direction. He mouth "later," and went to his seat when they nodded. The rest of the classes passed quickly, and when the final bell rang, the three left the grounds quickly.

"Happosai lives at this Akane's house?" Herb cracked his knuckles as he grinned.

Ranma nodded, adding, "Yeah. Just think- you have a perfectly legitimate reason to go visit. You go, bring Konatsu along, train Akane a little every day, and go pervert pounding afterwards."

"What about you?" Konatsu was grinning as well.

Suddenly, the three of them were splashed by a little old lady ladling water on the side walk. Ranma snapped his fingers. "The old pervert doesn't know about the Jusenkyo curse yet. So, I train with him during the days as a guy," she gestured to her chest, "and pound him at night as a woman." Ranma pointed at the other two. "We just have to make sure he doesn't find out about the curses, or we are all in for a world of hurt."

The three walked silently for a bit, contemplating the issue with that. All three spoke at once when realization struck.

"Oh shit." They all looked back and forth at each other. Again, as one they said, "We need to train."

* * *

Happosai watched as Soun began working Akane through some forms. He snorted. "You're wasting your time with that, Soun."

Soun stopped. "What do you mean, Master?" Akane stopped as well, but Soun motioned for her to keep going.

"Figure it out. You know what you need to do, so quit being a baby and do it." With that, Happosai left the dojo. Soun bowed his head. Happosai was right, but Soun just wasn't strong enough to do what was necessary. He just hoped Ranma and his friends were.

* * *

Akane limped to school the next day. The workout last night had helped, but she was still too sore and in pain to put up much of a fight. So when she saw the mass of assembled boys waiting as she turned the corner, she stifled the urge to cry. The boys hadn't noticed her yet, so she stepped back around the corner to consider her options. A hand on her shoulder made her jump. She whipped around, only to find herself face to face with Konatsu, flanked by Herb and Ranma.

"You've realize you will not be able to win today, correct?" Konatsu watched as Akane's lower lip trembled, and she bit down nervously.

"Yeah... I can't fight in this condition."

"Have you considered this?" Konatsu opened a hand and showed Akane what he held. "I do believe your school is Anything Goes, correct?" The girl nodded. "Go on, I've got plenty. Let's see what you can do."

Akane smiled, and took the pro-offered items. Carefully concealing them about her person, she took a step back towards the school.

"Ms. Tendo."

"Yes, Konatsu-san?"

"I'd save the last one for Kuno-sempai. I think you've realized how strong he is, correct?"

"Yeah." The girl stopped and turned back. "Umm... Thank you." She bowed, before turning the corner and running towards the school.

"Shall we see what she does today?" Ranma and Herb grinned.

Akane was silent as she ran to the mass of boys. She hugged the walls as close as she could, trying to keep out of sightlines as much as possible. Because she hadn't yelled, they didn't notice her until she was almost on top of the mass. They were organized today as well. She flicked her eyes left and right to take in the two groups of ranged attackers lined up with their backs against the walls, hoping to ambush her today as well.

The boys finally noticed her, and rushed to attack in a loud roar. Akane hefted the objects Konatsu had given her. It was now or never.

The boys watched as Akane flung her arms to the sides, throwing something out of her hands. Instantly, clouds of smoke billowed up from the feet of the ranged attackers, and one more cloud sprung forth from with in the mass. Vision was obscured as muffled cries rang through the yard. When the smoke cleared, only a few boys were down, but the rest were milling about in confusion. Kuno was sitting on the ground behind the group, fingering a tender jaw. Akane was gone.

Akane quickly tucked the nunchukus into her bag before kicking off her shoes and slipping on her indoor sandals. Between the smoke screen and the weapon, Kuno hadn't stood a chance. While it had hurt to run, it would have hurt a whole lot more to fight it out.

* * *

"Congratulation, Ms. Tendo. You did very well today." Herb sat down in his seat next to Akane.

"Um, do you think Konatsu-san is going to want his nunchuku back?"

Herb shook his head. "Keep them. He has about 40 pairs."

Akane smiled. "Thank you again."

"Do you have time after school?" The girl nodded. "Good. If you would like, we three can help you train."  
Akane positively squealed, until a piece of chalk hit her in the forehead.

"Tendo, Akane. Buckets, Hall, Outside, now!"

"Yes, sensei," the girl said meekly.

* * *

Lunch was enjoyable until Nabiki Tendo crashed the little celebration the three Chinese students were having.

"Herb, I thought you said you were going to stop this."

"I did."

"Didn't look stopped to me."

Herb merely looked at Nabiki. "Your father requested I train your sister."

"And?"

"This will continue, as part of her training."

"I'm going to get you for this, asshole."

"Take it up with your father. I on my honor, your sister will not be hurt."

Nabiki turned to leave, but stopped when she caught the look on Herb's face.

"Much." That said Herb bit into a plum, sending juice everywhere. Behind him, Ranma and Konatsu just shook their heads and grinned.

* * *

Thanks to all my readers. Reviews, emails, questions/comments always welcome. I hope you like it so far. I won't be updating for a few days, but don't worry, this story will be finished!  
  
I also have some great ideas for my next little number, a one shot that should be fairly entertaining. It will attempt (cough, cough) to be a humor piece, but we will see if I can pull it off.  
  
Oh, and I don't own any of these characters. I'll try and introduce more bit parts and Ranma series cameos, but I will not do that at the expense of the story.  
  
Sonkun Elay  
  



	13. Right Effort, part 4

Ranma was currently lost in the recesses of his mind, watching as the physical manifestation of the Neko-ken lay stretched out before him, lazily twitching its tail and ignoring his presence. Ranma sighed. He had been trying to get the feline to acknowledge him, but nothing worked. Attempts to pet or cuddle the animal were met with disdain, and trying to goad the creature to fight simply caused it to vanish into the darkness. The cat was content to allow Ranma to sit in its vicinity and be ignored.

Ranma stood and prepared to return to awareness. He was frustrated; Ranma had unconsciously accessed the power of the Neko-ken in his first fight with Happosai, but he hadn't understood the trigger that allowed it. He was no closer to understanding now than he had been at that time. The cat ignored him, as always. Slowly, awareness began to return to Ranma, and the dreamscape he floated in faded as reality began to intrude.

He opened his eyes and did a quick scan of his environment. Ranma had chosen a grove in the back of the temple he was staying at for his meditations. With nothing better to do, he produced three balls of ki and began to juggle.

* * *

Konatsu was currently cuddled up to her husband, basking in the afterglow of their most recent 'training.' She was resting her head on his left shoulder, watching Herb as he breathed. Konatsu traced the line of his jaw with the back of her hand.

"Herb?"

"Mm?"

"Care to switch?"

Herb gave her a lecherous grin as he shifted forms. Konatsu did the same, and they resumed 'training.' Afterwards, as the couple cuddled together, Konatsu asked, "Do you want to take a trip with me?"

"Where to, love?"

Herb frowned when he heard the destination, but agreed. "Do we tell Ranma?" Konatsu was silent, but eventually gave her answer.

* * *

Dinner that night was a quite affair. Konatsu and Herb both were subdued, and the monk Shinran had eaten quickly and left, claiming unexpected business. Ranma spoke just to break the silence. "Did someone die, or did Herb just not get it up today?"

The comment earned Ranma a backhanded blow from Herb and a flurry of miniature shuriken from Konatsu, but it had worked to break their moods. The pig-tailed martial artist pulled out a first-aid kit after picking himself up off the floor. He began the process of pulling the throwing stars from his body, and slapping on Band-Aids.

"That shit stings, Konatsu." Ranma pulled out yet another star lodged in his bicep. He briefly channeled some ki into the wound, closing it partially so that he could apply the dressing. "Anyway, what has you guys so down?"

Herb looked at Konatsu. With a small shrug, Konatsu got up and walked around the table to help Ranma finish up the rest of his triage.

"Konatsu and I have decided that we need to... go somewhere."

"Somewhere?" Ranma grimaced as Konatsu pulled out a star none too gently. Again, Ranma channeled some ki to seal the wound somewhat. "Care to share?"

Konatsu answered. "We are going to visit my father."

"Oh."

"And," Konatsu hesitated, "we wanted to go alone."

"Ah." Ranma handed the throwing stars back to Konatsu. Konatsu quickly made the stars vanish, and walked back around the table to join Herb. "Promise you aren't going to do anything stupid?"

Neither one replied.

"Either you promise me, or I will track you down. I made a promise to your father, Konatsu. I am not about to break my word."

The two looked at each other, then at Ranma. Ranma stared right back, concentrating on Konatsu until the ninja nodded her head in agreement. "So, when are you leaving, and how long will you be gone?"

"We were going to leave on Sunday, and be gone two weeks, maybe more."

"And leave me to deal with Happosai and Akane. Thanks. How am I supposed to train her with you gone?"

Herb reached into his robes to pull out a small roll of parchment. He placed it on the table and slid it across till it stopped in front of Ranma. Ranma picked it up, untying the bindings. He opened it and raised one eyebrow, looking at the couple across the table. "Is this a joke?"

Herb shook his head while Konatsu smiled. Ranma pocketed the scroll, and glared at the two. "You didn't do me any favors with this little stunt, you know." Ranma stood, never taking his eyes off the two. Konatsu demurely sipped her tea, while Herb was busy examining a spot on his robe. "You guys can clean the dishes, you ingrates." Grumbling, Ranma headed out of the room in the direction of the entrance hall. They heard Ranma stomp back in, and throw the sliding door open. "Just be careful, okay?" He quickly gave them a concerned look before remembering he was supposed to be angry. He again stormed away. Both failed completely conceal the smiles on their faces at the sound of the slamming door.

* * *

Akane was having a very realistic dream. She felt like she was flying, cool wind whipping past her body as she soared gracefully into the blue sky. Below her was a vast lake, stretching towards the horizon, where towering peaks loomed in the distance. She blinked; the lake was now closer now, and water stretched as far as the eye could see. She struggled to gain altitude, but try as she might she was drawn inexorably towards the surface. Gravity reasserted its hold on her body as she picked up speed, now free falling towards the lake.

She snapped awake just as she hit the water's surface to find herself sitting in the shallow fish pond in her backyard, soaked to the bone and cold. Her t-shirt held no warmth, and the thin fabric clung to her skin, further drawing out warmth. A cough got her attention, and she turned to see Ranma perched on a rock by the edge of the pond.

Ranma had taken off his shirt, and was holding it out to her. "You might want to consider less... sheer fabric for your next swim."

She looked down in confusion, and slowly realized what the boy was talking about. She had fallen asleep in a white tank-top, and now that was wet, clearly showing that she was not wearing a bra. Embarrassed, she quickly stood and grabbed for the shirt, trying to turn it into a wrist lock to drag Ranma into the pool with her. He simply reversed the throw, sending her sprawling back into the water, never having budged an inch.

Akane sat up again, spiting out a mouthful of water. "Have I told you I hate?"

"Not today." Ranma smiled. He quickly jumped back as Akane attempted to splash him.

"Damn. Almost got me wet today. Anyway, up and at 'em, student." Akane sprang from the pool, doing her best to cause grievous bodily harm to the boy in front of her. Ranma was like a wisp of smoke; he flowed around her strikes, lancing out occasionally to land punishing blows where her defenses were lax. Occasionally, Ranma would offer encouragement or praise if she managed to close a hole in her defense before he could strike, but for the most part they were silent.

It had been almost two months since almost losing that fight at Furinkan. Akane had begun training with the three Chinese students in the mornings before school and again in the evenings afterwards. Akane had always assumed she was a tough, skilled martial artist, but Herb, Konatsu, and Ranma showed her just how far she had yet to go.

The experience was humbling and inspiring. She had improved vastly in the short time she had been training with the trio – her endurance was better, she was faster, and her control was better. And yet, no matter how much she improved, she was still manhandled in her sessions with anyone of her training partners. For the first time, Akane realized the vast gulf between her skills and those of Ranma, and by extension, how truly powerful Happosai must be to treat Ranma the same way he treated her.

She had come to understand a few things about the three students during her time as a student. All three were extremely gifted, but had very distinct styles of fighting and training. Herb had been primarily her main teacher at first. He was a force of nature, like a hurricane or an earthquake. He was implacable, indestructible, and utterly demanded every once of skill and effort during her morning sparring sessions. Hitting him was like trying to cause a mountain to move by punching it. She had always thought she was strong, but Herb was strength personified. You didn't ride out the storm that was Herb, you either ran away or suffered. She knew he was only using a fraction of his abilities, and that really terrified her.

Konatsu was like a shadow or a breath of wind. You couldn't hit it, capture it, or escape from it. She had yet to ever land a blow on him, but his strikes were invisible, punishing, and debilitating. He used cunning, subterfuge, and redirection in their spars, forcing her to carefully monitor every aspect of her body lest some stray movement or misstep betray her. He always used her own strength against herself – Konatsu often forced her to cause more injury to herself than he ever did. But his style of fighting had done more for her control and precision precisely because he always capitalized on the smallest of errors. She found fighting with him the hardest simply because his style opposed the core of her teachings.

Ranma was no different. Just as gifted, just as strong, he was almost two diametrically opposed elements, water and fire. He flowed like liquid, capable of exploiting the smallest hole in her defense and ripping it wide open. He could overwhelm like a rainstorm, or a tsunami. He was immutable and inimitable; blows were simply absorbed or redirected, or sometimes solid like stone. On the opposite extreme, he raged like an inferno, consuming all in its path leaving nothing but remnants. He was unpredictable and always in flux, constantly probing and retreating. To attempt to fight him in that state was to risk being utterly destroyed, because anything you threw into the fire only added fuel.

And yet, for all their differences, she had found herself becoming friends with the three boys. Occasionally she would join them as they practiced on their own. She didn't take part because they simply practice at a level far above her, but she used it as an opportunity to watch and learn. She came to realize that the genuinely cared more about the art than anything else, except for Ranma. He also wanted nothing more than to be a good person, going out of his way to help others if possible. This behavior simply bemused Herb and Konatsu. Akane at first thought it was an act, but now, after nearly two months, realized that he was just honestly concerned about nearly everyone.

The morning fights at school had stopped about a month ago when it became apparent to everyone but Kuno that they stood no chance against Akane. Kuno had gotten better; he improved daily, and still sought to challenge her every morning. The fights were a real challenge for her. Kuno had always held back, but stopped doing so after Herb had talked to him long ago.

Kuno surprised Akane one morning when he had waived his right to date her if he should be victorious in combat. Rather, he simply called it a formal challenge to 'engage the lovely Akane Tendo in honorable combat' and attacked. While he still spouted horrid prose and poetry before and afterwards each challenge, he had stopped spouting poetry during the morning matches. Kuno had even managed to win a few bouts, but true to his word, had never forced her out on a date. He had asked a few times, but Akane had (politely) refused.

Herb had been very frank about admitting that he was responsible for Kuno's behavior. He had remarked that Akane needed a partner nearer to her level, and that the Kuno boy was the perfect training aid. Herb's only response to how he had accomplished such a dramatic change in Kuno Tatewaki was simply, "I made him see the error of his ways."

Ranma tagged her hard in the armpit. Akane tempted to compensate, but overbalanced and was rapidly pummeled for the mistake. Like rain, the blows came from every direction, and she knew she couldn't dodge all of them. She saw the front snap kick coming, and brought her arms up to block, and was sent flying back for her efforts. Before she could register that she had hit the ground, Ranma's fist loomed in front of her face, filling her field of vision.

"Game over." Ranma offered a hand, which Akane accepted. He pulled the girl to her feet, and together they began running through some katas. This was one of the other major changes. Nearly two weeks ago, Konatsu and Herb had left, leaving only Ranma as her trainer. With every passing day, the boy grew a little less talkative, and trained harder than before.

Herb had granted Ranma the title of Master of the branch of the Musk school of marital arts, and Ranma took his responsibilities seriously. On top of that, he was still training every day with Happosai, and unbeknownst to Akane, going out on pervert patrol every evening in his female persona. He was starting to feel a little frazzled, but tried not to let it show.

Ranma led the girl through some various katas, watching her from the corner of his eye. He would occasionally point out errors in form, but never stopped. Akane was caught off guard when he stopped and asked, "So, why the white tee? Hoping that distraction would make up for lack of skill?"

Akane pulled up short, fumbling the transition between a block and strike. Ranma motioned for her to continue, and she did as he sat on a near by rock to watch. "No... I don't have any more clean Pajamas," Akane replied.

"Why's that?"

"Well, let's see... Oh yeah, how about, I've been getting thrown in the pond every morning for nearly two weeks." The girl fumed as she remembered Ranma promising to continue to do so until Akane was good enough to either dunk the boy or otherwise prevent herself from being tossed in. "All my other sets are either ruined or in the laundry right now."

"Ah. Perhaps you can wear a bathing suit to sleep?" Akane just glared at the boy. "Anyways, you should go bath and change. It's almost time for breakfast."

Akane nodded, and quickly raced to the bathroom. Stripping off her wet garments, she put on quickly took care of her morning bath. After drying off, she changed into her school uniform just as Kasumi called that breakfast was ready.

Ranma joined the Tendo family for breakfast, as had become customary for Akane's morning sparing partner. Breakfast was yet another training opportunity, as Ranma would steal the food from the poor girl's plate, forcing her to attempt to eat and defend at the same time. When breakfast was finished, Ranma helped Kasumi clear plates as Akane ran upstairs to grab her books. The two departed, heading off in the direction of Furinkan.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the place?" Herb gestured to the gaudily lit tea house exclaiming the legendary Erotic Teahouse of the Kunoichi. Behind him, the now male Konatsu stood with a look of horror upon his face. The ninja walked past Herb, looking around before knocking on the door of the teahouse.

Both boys blanched at the face that opened the door and greeted them. The woman, if it could be called that, looked horribly deformed. Between her enormous lips she sported a cigarette, and a huge mole rested on her upper lip, only partially concealed by the facial hair she sported. She was smoking on a cigarette, idly patting her gray hair that was pulled back into a bun. Konatsu turned to Herb, giving the prince a quick nod. Together, the two stepped inside, herded by the hostess that had greeted them.

The hostess led them inside. The two were seated on cushions upon the floors, and the show began. The hostess pulled a Japanese harp from a closet, and began plucking a dance tune. The two dancers appeared on stage, one horribly obese and the second painfully thin, and began the show. They were every bit as ugly as the hostess, and it quickly became evident that that they were the only dancers in the establishment.

"Herb?"

"Yes, Konatsu?"

"Are you sure I can't just kill them all now? I'm sure Ranma would understand..."

* * *

The walk to school was quite. Akane was silent, reviewing the previous sparing session in her head, while Ranma walked along beside her, hands stuffed in his pockets. Akane was startled out of her reverie when she heard a splash and a stifled oath from Ranma. She looked in his direction, but the boy had disappeared.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. Did I get you wet?" The little old lady was still holding the ladle she was using to wet her sidewalk.

Akane did a quick check to make sure. "No, I'm alright. Thank you for asking, though."

"Oh, good. I just would feel awful if I splashed someone."

The two parted, and Akane kept walking towards school. Akane glanced around, looking for Ranma. It wasn't unusual for him to take off ahead or disappear like this. She frowned. More often than not, it meant he had some weird surprise in store for her. Squaring her shoulders, she resolutely marched in the direction of the school. She had signed up for this, after all.

Ranma dropped the cloaking aura she had instantly summoned as soon as she was splashed. While she had been building up some form of control over the curse, she would still change when caught unawares, or in too much water. This last time had been particularly close. She briefly flared her ki and shifted to her male form. Ranma took to the roofs, trying to use the time between here and the school to think of some surprise for Akane.

When he arrived, Kuno was waiting outside as usual. Ranma jumped down, an idea already forming in his head as he approached the boy. This would work perfectly. While it might not allow Kuno to beat Akane, it certainly would throw her for a loop.

* * *

Konatsu and Herb walked away from the smoldering ruins of the Erotic Tea House. Behind them, three figures lay on the ground, moaning from the beating Konatsu had administered. He hadn't intended to, but his old 'step-family' had just plain bugged him, and when the fat one had kissed Herb, he lost it.

"Why is it you can't keep yourself from getting kissed, Husband?"

Herb recognized the tone. Gulping, he replied, "I didn't realize that is what she wanted?"

Konatsu glared at him through half lidded eyes. He sighed. "Anyway, let's go visit my father's grave, and then get back to Tokyo." The ninja turned and bounded away to the location he had been instructed.

Herb let a breath of relief escape him. An angry Konatsu was not fun to deal with. Breaking into a trot, he quickly caught up to the receding form of his husband.

* * *

Ranma was walking home with Akane along the fence tops to work on her balance. She was doing better, but she still going entirely too slow. With a sigh, he looked around and saw a flash of red in the corner of his eye.

"You keep this up, Akane. I want to go check something. I'll probably see you at the Dojo." With that, Ranma leapt off in pursuit. When he rounded the corner, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Ryoga examining a map upside down.

"Yo, Ryoga! What's up! Long time no see!"

The boy spun, and his face lit up when he recognized Ranma. "Ranma! Do you know how to get to Furinkan from here?"

"Of course. But why do you want to go?"

Ryoga folded the map and took of his backpack. Flipping open the top flap, he rooted around and picked out a carefully wrapped box. Ranma examined the wrapping, and commented, "Ah... I see. Nagasaki Castella for Akane?"

The boy blushed, and nodded. "So, do you think you can show me the way to the school?"

Ranma shook his head. "School's out already. Why don't you come with me to the Tendo Dojo? Plus, you would be a good change for Akane as a sparing partner."

"Me?" Ryoga looked puzzled. He quickly shouldered his pack as Ranma explained what had been going on in the last few weeks since Ryoga had last been in the area.

* * *

"Excuse us!" Ranma and Ryoga kicked off their shoes in the entrance hall and neatly arranged them before stepping into the home proper. Akane peaked out of the tea room to see who it was before smiling.

"Ryoga! Good to see you!" Getting up from the table, Akane met the boys in the hall and showed Ryoga to the table. Quickly pouring some tea for the boys, Akane asked, "So, where did you get off to this time?"

Ryoga pulled the package of treats from his backpack and wordlessly presented them to Akane, head bowed and cheeks rosy read.

"Oh, Nagasaki! How nice. I love Castella! Thank you, Ryoga!" She smiled at the lost boy before getting up and going to the kitchen. "Kasumi, look what Ryoga brought us!" The sounds of conversation in the kitchen continued as Kasumi prepared to serve the treats.

Back in the tea room, poor Ryoga was clutching his heart and suffering from a minor melt down. Ranma just shook his head ruefully, and pushed one of the cups of tea in Ryoga's direction.

"Yeah, she's cute when she smiles, isn't she?" Ryoga could only nod in response to Ranma's comment, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. "You ever going to tell her how you feel?" Ryoga shook his head no, doodling on the table with his finger. "That whole rejection and afraid she'd break your heart of glass thing, huh?" Ryoga nodded. "So, feel up to a little training with Akane today?" Ryoga nodded again. "Good. Don't hold back, okay? I need to see how far a long she's come."

Akane returned, followed by Kasumi, bearing a tray of small plates with a portion of the delicacy on each plate. Serving one to each of the boys, she served one for Kasumi and one for herself. They girls sat, and began questioning Ryoga about his latest travels. After about half an hour, Ranma told Akane she could continue the questions in the dojo, because it was time to train.

* * *

Ryoga grunted as Akane landed yet another blow past his defenses. It wasn't particularly strong, but the girl was landing more than he liked, and it was starting to annoy him. She threw a punch, and over hesitated for just a fraction of a second. Ryoga capitalized, grabbing her by the wrist and shoulder and threw her to the floor of the dojo. Or, at least, that was his intention. She flipped in mid-air, landed on her feet, and reversed the throw, sending him crashing into the wall of the dojo.

"I told you not to hold back, Ryoga." Ranma was smirking.

Ryoga stood, and cracked his neck. With a nod, he assumed an attacking position and marched resolutely towards the girl. The fight didn't last too much longer as Ryoga simply pounded his way past Akane's defenses. She made sure that he was punished for doing so, however. By the time she tapped out and acknowledged being defeated, Ryoga was glad for to stop. His breath was ragged and his muscles hurt, and her last shot to his thigh was beginning to knot up painfully.

"You've gotten really good, Akane-san." Ryoga plopped down on the floor, massaging the knot in his thigh. Akane was sprawled out on the floor, waiting for the room to stop spinning.

"Thanks, Ryoga-san. I have Ranma to thank for that." She sat up, wincing as her head began to throb. "I am going to ache tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Akane-san. I shouldn't have hit so hard."

"No, that was great! I'm glad you did it. I don't often get to do that, because during regular training Ranma pulls his punches. Yours are a lot harder than I'm used to, that's all. It was... educational." Akane began to catalog the various blows she had received; making sure everything was still working properly. "Thanks for sparing match."

"Stretch a little bit, and then go take a bath, Akane." Ranma extended a hand to help Akane to her feet. "You did great today. Really." She smiled as she took the offered hand, nodded at Ryoga, and moved to one corner of the dojo to begin stretching. Ranma also offered a hand to Ryoga, who allowed Ranma to pull him to his feet.

"She really has gotten much better. I really wasn't expecting that."

"Yeah, she's really improved a lot in a short time. She has a lot of potential." Ranma watched as Akane slowly lowered herself into a split, before rolling forward and pressing her stomach to the floor. Ryoga was staring as well, before the two realized what they were doing. Grinning at each other, Ranma and Ryoga walked to the other end of the dojo.

"Anyway, I have to go train with Happosai. You want to stay here with her, or do you want to come with me?"

Ryoga paused to consider. "I want to come. Akane told me how good this Happosai person is. I want to see how you do."

Ranma nodded. He turned to where Akane was stretching. "You want to come and watch Happosai and me?"

Akane shook her head. "No, I want to bath and relax a bit. Plus, I need to catch up on some homework and sleep." Ranma nodded. He tugged on Ryoga's tunic, and together the two left to go seek out Happosai.

* * *

"Ah, Ranma my boy! Good to see you." Happosai was in his room, ironing stolen lingerie. "You ready for your daily dose of torture?" Happosai grinned as he tossed another freshly pressed panty on the sizeable mound behind him.

"Sure thing, ya' old goat." Ranma grinned as well, cracking his knuckles. He had paybacks he wanted to give the old master from last night's pervert patrol. Having an alternate identity allowed Ranma to study the pervert's style from two angles, dissecting it and learning counters before Happosai realized he knew them. Their 'training' sessions usually just devolved into an all out free for all, forcing Happosai to pull out more and more of his tricks and techniques to keep Ranma on his toes.

While Happosai still didn't know about his curse, it would only be a matter of time before he figured it out. Ranma fully intended to use the time he had to learn as much as he could from the pervert. Despite his panty stealing proclivity, he was one hell of a martial artist and a master of manipulating ki. He didn't have the massive quantities of ki that Herb did, so his usage was more efficient and more effective.

The two bounded out the window to head to a near by park to avoid damaging the Tendo house. Ryoga followed along to watch. The two faced off, and the battle began. Happosai kept a running commentary going every time he tagged Ranma. For his part, Ranma merely kept silent and concentrated on absorbing as much of the pervert's tactics as possible. Things were going well until it started to rain.

"SHIT!" Ranma immediately pulled himself into the Umi-sen-ken as the water triggered his curse, transforming him into a female. The cloaking technique effectively rendered him invisible. Ranma began to retreat, but was shocked when Happosai began to follow him.

"Impressive! I can't see you, but I can still figure out where you are. Unfortunately, you can't get away from me with just that, you little runt!" Happosai lashed out, attempting to tag Ranma and force him to drop the cloak. Ranma dodged frantically. His mind was racing. How was Happosai tracking him? The Umi-sen ken completely masked his ki and his presence, so the old goat shouldn't be able to track him that way.

Ranma dodged a blow that forced him into a back hand spring that placed his back squarely against a stone wall. He watched as Happosai slowly walked forward, scanning his head left and right, searching for the Ranma. The rain was still falling, so Ranma had no chance of transforming back. Silently, the boy cursed as he watched Happosai slowly approach.

"It's no use hiding, boy. I'll find you eventually."

Ranma realized the pervert couldn't see him in front of the stone. He puzzled over this until he looked around the park, paying attention to ki signatures. Everything had one, except the concrete. Happosai's was using Ranma's lack of aura to track him against the background 'noise' of the trees.

In desperation, Ranma resorted to his ultimate attack. He pulled a bra out of his pocket, and sent it sailing in the air away from his location. It worked. Happosai went chasing after the bra with a cry of, "SWEETO!" Ranma turned tail and ran. He needed to do some serious work to figure out this flaw in the Umi-sen-ken.

* * *

Ranma clutched his chest as he sat on the veranda of the temple. That had been too close. Shinran joined him on the terrace, and the two just looked outside until Ranma calmed down and the sun set.

"Care to talk about it, Ranma?"

The boy stared out at the setting sun, before releasing a sigh. "I've been lying to a lot of people, and today it nearly came back and bit me on the ass."

"Ah. Care to elaborate?"

"Got any cold water?" Silently the monk got up and returned a few minutes later with a glass of water. Taking a deep breath, Ranma upended the glass over his head and watched as shock registered on the monks face. Ranma quickly explained about the curse, and how he had been hiding it from the school, from Happosai, Akane, and his other friends.

"So, does that make me guilty of falsehood?"

The monk sat silent for a few moments, before raising a hand. "Let me tell you a story first, Ranma. Then, you can tell me what you think. Along time ago, in ancient India lived a very wealthy man who lived in a run down house. This house only had one entrance, because the man was too miserly to spend money to fix it up. One day, as the man was leaving the house, a fire broke out while all his children were inside. Desperate to save them, he called to his children, warning of them of the fire and urging them to escape."

Ranma listened as Shinran paused to draw a breath, before he continued, "The man was getting desperate because the fire crept higher as his children refused to come out, consumed with playing with their toys. So, the man finally lied and exclaimed that he had various a chariot for each child, and they could have them if they only came and got them. The children, eager to claim these goodies, all come scrambling out of the house and are saved from the flames The three kinds of carts are nowhere to be seen, but instead the old man gives to each one a still more splendid chariot, beautifully ornate and drawn by a white bullock."

The monk then paused. "What do you think, Ranma. Was he guilty of falsehood?"

"No. Do you know why?" The boy shook his head. Shinran said, "It has to do with his intentions. The Buddha himself said once, 'I am also like this. Since I became a Buddha, for the sake of all the living I have declared by my power of skillful means that I must enter nirvana, and yet no one can rightly say that I have perpetrated a falsehood.'"

The boy looked slightly confused.

"If your intentions are not to deceive by rather to save, then certain amounts of leeway are given. If you had to tell the truth all the time, life could get pretty difficult."

Ranma nodded. The monk placed his hand on the boys shoulder. "I'm hungry. Let's eat."

The boy was lost in thought all throughout the dinner.

* * *

The next morning, Akane was awakened not by a flight through the air, but by a hand gently rocking her awake. She started awake to find Ranma standing by the side of her bed.

"Wha?" Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes as she struggled to focus. Ranma raised a finger to his lips, urging her to be quite. He pantomimed her getting dressed, which took her a second to understand. She nodded, and hopped out of bed. Ranma just stood watching. Angrily, she motioned for him to turn around. He had the grace to blush as he realized his mistake, and quickly turned away from the girl. When she was dressed, Ranma slid the widow open again, and leapt out.

* * *

It was very early in the morning, and Happosai had just returned from an all night panty raid. He was in his room, laying on top of a pile of underwear, idly fingering some freshly liberated lingerie, replaying the last sparring match with Ranma in his head. Something about it bothered him greatly, but he was unable to put his finger on it. It had started out just like any of their other innumerable fights, but then, it had started raining. The boy had vanished and run away, almost as if...Happosai stuck his caught his fist in his palm as he sat up. The soft sound of a window being opened from the outside caught his attention. That had to be Ranma, who had just arrived to start training Akane. As much as Happosai hated to admit it, Ranma had gotten the girl to improve considerably, and at her current rate she'd be ready for Happosai to take over her training by the end of the year.  
  
Happosai went to his window, hoping to see Akane splash down into the fish pond again this morning. He still drooled over yesterday, when she had been wearing only a white T-shirt. Of course, Ranma had to go and ruin the view by being chivalrous and offering his shirt. The boy could never be his true heir – he didn't have a perverted bone in his body. Happosai sighed. Oh well. He had time. He was sure he would eventually corrupt the boy.

The expected splash in the fish pond in the backyard didn't materialize; instead, Happosai caught a fleeting glance of Ranma hoping over the back yard fence, followed by Akane. Intrigued, Happosai took out handkerchief and quickly fashioned a mask. He opened his own window and followed, carefully masking his presence to avoid detection.

* * *

Akane followed Ranma as he hopped the back yard fence and quickly took to the roofs, heading out to the park where he had sparred with Happosai only a day before.

"What's this all about, Ranma?"

"I wanted to show you something." He pointed to a park bench, and motioned to Akane to sit. He pulled out a bottle of water and a thermos, and set them on the edge of the bench. "Have you ever heard of Jusenkyo?"

"No."

"Well, get ready." With a sigh, Ranma tipped the bottle of water over his head.

* * *

This is a reposting, added some material to make the next chapter make a little more sense. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. One beef - as long as a story is well written, does it matter with whom Ranma eventually ends up? Just wanted to get that out there.

Gahh.. That chapter took me a long time to write. I think I am better now... :)  
I did some major work planning the story, so now I think things should flow a bit better. I trapped myself by starting out writing in compressed chunks of time, and then had to stretch the a very short period of time into the same amount of pages. I found it harder to write in the 'present' than recounting 'adventures' of the past.  
i had the beginning and the end all planned out, but not much of the middle. oops. Now I'm trying to find my way to the end.  
  
Anyway, hope you like it. R&R, questions, comments, welcome. Flames used to BBQ.  
Oh, and I don't own any of these characters.


	14. Right Mindfulness, part 1

Ranma poured the water over his head, and whipped his head around to look around the park. He felt like he was being watched, but couldn't pinpoint from where. Maybe he was just imagining it... Akane's gasp brought him back to the task at hand.

Akane simply stared and made unintelligible sounds.

"Can you keep a secret?"

The girl only nodded, not trusting herself to make a sound.

"Jusenkyo is this place in China..." Ranma spent the next hour and a half explaining about the curse. He also explained that Herb and Konatsu both had curses, and that all three were working to control them. The feeling of being watched never when away, though.

* * *

Happosai stayed lodged in the tree above where Ranma had explained his curse long after the pair had left. Happosai immediately understood why Ranma had gotten so good so quickly – he'd been sparring with Happosai at least twice a day for the last several months. Happosai began to think about all the various methods he could pay the little whelp back, discarding most options as soon as they popped into his mind. He pulled out his pipe, and began to light up when it hit him. He grinned wickedly. That would do perfectly.

* * *

Ranma dropped his books off and flopped to the mats exhausted. He closed his eyes as he listened to the wind rustle the trees in the back of the temple. In the background he could hear Shinran chanting for some service. Ranma allowed his mind to drift, playing the day's events across his mind.

School had been a disaster today. The chemistry club had 'accidentally' created some sort of high grade explosive that blew the lab apart. Ranma hadn't been in the building at the time, but had rushed in to help evacuate the structure. Nobody was seriously injured, but there were a few students that required medical attention.

His acts of 'heroism' had encouraged yet more attempts from the love sick girls of Furinkan to corner him and ask for dates. He had politely refused all the invitations, begging off with prior commitments. By the end of the day, he had actively taken to fleeing from approaching women.

Ranma took a deep breath, and cleared his mind. He was a little tired to train, but he could meditate. He sat up and assumed a lotus position as he slowly worked his way into his mind. The cat was waiting for him by the time he arrived. It was lashing its tail, stalking back and forth in the confines of his mind.

"You feel it too, huh?" Ranma watched as the cat walked around him in circles, carefully keeping one eye on the boy. "So, what do you want to do today?" The cat's body posture seemed to suggest, 'same thing we do everyday.'

Ranma sighed as the cat continued to circle. He carefully kept his eyes on the animal, trying to decipher its emotions. It didn't look to be promising today.

The cat's tail began to whip back and forth rapidly. With out warning, it roared and pounced. As the cat impacted Ranma's body, he was jolted away from his meditative state. His eyes snapped open, and he frowned. That had never happened before. He attempted to slip once more into a meditate trance, but for some reason it eluded him today. Annoyed, Ranma rose from his seat and headed out to the entrance hall. Putting on his shoes, he reached for the door only to have it open before his hands made contact. He blinked a few times, his mind failing to register the sight before him.

"KONATSU! HERB!"

Konatsu winced at the volume of Ranma's shout. Herb raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you miss us?"

* * *

The three sat in the tea room, sharing a cup of tea as Ranma listened to the married couple recount what had happened over the past two weeks. It seemed to involve a lot of sex, but the interesting part was what had happened when they finally arrived at Konatsu's old home.

"So, you found them with out a problem?" Ranma grabbed a rice cracker, munching on it as he waited for Konatsu to answer.

"Yeah, they were still living in the same house. My step mother had turned it into some sort of erotic teahouse."

Ranma shuddered. "That must have been pretty disturbing." He noted with interest that Herb blanched. "Something happen to you Herb? You look like your about to lose your lunch."

Herb nodded. "I had the unfortunate experience of being kissed by one of those harridans." He shuddered. "If I hadn't been so distraught I lost control of my ki, I would have killed her on the spot." He had an unpleasant grin on his face.

Most of the memories Ranma had from the time spent at Konatsu's house long ago involved sparring with Konatsu and being forced to do menial labor by Konatsu's step mother. He distinctly remembered how ugly the woman and her children had been. Ranma was sure that the last eight years had not been kind, either.

"What did you end up doing?" Ranma took a sip of tea, studying the pair closely for clues.

Konatsu looked at Herb, who looked back at the ninja. Herb shrugged. Konatsu nodded slightly, and then turned to Ranma. "We ended up just beating them up after they became a little too friendly. Then, we torched the house. I decided that they were pathetic enough that I need not take revenge. Killing them would have been mercy, and I would rather they suffer."

Ranma frowned, but said nothing. Konatsu continued, "Afterwards, we found my father's grave, and Herb and me paid our respects. Then we just took our time getting home, stopping at various resorts and hot springs along the way."

"Sounds nice." Ranma lifted his cup to his lips, inhaling the aroma of the tea, using the motion to cover his frown.

"It was." Konatsu took a sip of tea as well, eyes carefully examining Ranma.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

The topic changed to Ranma's two weeks alone. The pair laughed about his Ranma's newest motivational techniques for Akane, namely the ritual morning dunking. Happosai's exploits were recounted, and Ranma related some of the general craziness that seemed to occur at Furinkan.

"Akane knows about our curses."

Both Herb and Konatsu stared for a second, and then gave an almost imperceptible nod. "It had to come out eventually," was all that Herb said.

Ranma looked Konatsu in the eye, then turned and stared at Herb. "Happosai will find out soon."

Again, the pair nodded.

"It won't be pleasant."

"What," asked Konatsu, "is the worst he could do?"

* * *

Ranma was on pervert patrol, hopping around the roofs of Nerima in female form looking to quell any trouble Happosai might cause. So far he had ventured to all the likely hotspots, but there had been no sign of the pervert as of yet. This was third night in a row when Happosai hadn't engaged in any of his usual activities. Happosai was devious and petty, and something about his absence during the pervert raids was really making Ranma unsettled.

Training with Happosai had weird as well. Instead of his usual no holds barred antagonism and sparring, the old man had at first wanted to play go. Ranma had improved considerably from all his games with Shinran, and so was quite pleased to find that he was capable of beating the pervert. After losing nearly every game, Happosai had given up, and retreated to his room, muttering about retirement and old age. Everyday was a different game, and yet Ranma continued to win, and Happosai would retreat to his room, shuffling and muttering the whole way.

Doing a quick scan around the public bath house, Ranma could not detect the presence of the old man. Frustrated, Ranma decided to head home for the night. She still had homework to do, and this was boring.

* * *

Happosai smirked as he watched Ranma bound away. He counted to fifty before coming out of concealment, and walked back towards the Tendo dojo.

* * *

The next day at school, Herb, Ranma, and Konatsu sat on the fence as they watched Akane take down Kuno once again. They watched as Akane carefully dissected her opponent, feinting and counterattacking just enough to force the kendoist to commit to a blow and be punished.

Konatsu frowned. "Skill wise, they are still pretty equal, but Kuno is too set into Kendo patterns. He isn't adaptable enough to challenge her anymore unless he can learn some new styles." Ranma nodded silently in agreement.

"Akane has come far in a short time. She might even be a challenge for some of the amazons in a year or two." Herb smiled as he watched Akane disarm her opponent. She quickly capitalized, ending the match in short order. The three continued to watch as she offered Kuno a helping hand up. He accepted gracefully, bowing to Akane as she handed his bokken back to him.

Herb and Ranma leapt from the fence to the third story windows of their classroom. Konatsu stayed behind and walked towards Kuno. "Kuno-san. A word with you, if I may?"

"Ah Konatsu-san. Your visage is most welcome this morning. The school rejoices that you have returned."

Konatsu only shook his head for a second before his spoke. "You have gotten considerably better since last I have observed your fights."

"I am glad you noticed. I find these morning spars with the fair Akane Tendo to do wonders for my technique and stamina."

"About that..." Kuno listened with interest as Konatsu detailed what he had observed in this morning's fight. When he was done, Konatsu entered the school, leaving Kuno contemplating his words in the courtyard.

* * *

Since the weather was nice out, Akane decided to follow the exchange students outside to eat. Lunch turned into a war council as Herb, Ranma, and Konatsu began to pump Akane for information about Happosai's behavior. Akane was at a lost to explain it as well. He hadn't stolen a single panty or groped any of the girls in the house now for three and a half days, and it was definitely beginning to strain the nerves of everyone in the house.

They began discussing contingency plans incase this was simply an aberration. After that, Akane began to ask questions about the journey that Herb and Konatsu had taken, and then about China and Jusenkyo. Herb was happy to talk about China, as well as his kingdom. Konatsu participated somewhat, but was content to allow Herb to do most of the talking.

"So, you guys are really married?" Akane pointed back and forth between the pair.

Herb smiled. "Yes. It took some convincing to get me to do it, but I am happy I did."

"But... I mean..."

"Yes?"

Akane blushed. "Isn't that perverted?"

Konatsu smirked. Herb chuckled a little as well, before answering. "I have discovered love has little to do with physical form. But since both of us have curses..." Herbs grin grew lecherous as he trailed off. Akane 'eeped' before burying her face into her bento. When she finally had enough composure to talk again, she turned on Ranma.

"This doesn't bother you at all?"

"Should it? I'm a little jealous, personally. Hell, I've never even had a girlfriend, even though I've had a few boys ask me out back in China."

"Oh... I didn't know that."

"Interested?" Ranma laughed out loud as Akane choked on her food, sending her into a coughing fit. By the time she finally regained control, the bell ending the lunch period rang. The three just grinned as Akane bolted towards the school.

Konatsu mock scolded, "Now, that wasn't very nice, Ranma."

Ranma looked sheepishly over at the ninja. "Yeah, but it's so easy. That poor girl is so cute when she's flustered. She has some serious issues about dating."

"That's funny, coming from you. Considering that you've never even been kissed, and all."

Ranma just shrugged, not embarrassed in the least.

* * *

The night's pervert hunt looked to be a bust as well. Ranma landed silently on the ground next to Konatsu, and the two only shook their heads before bounding away in opposite directions, heading towards the next checkpoint, hoping Happosai might be there.

* * *

Nearly two weeks went by, and still Happosai refused to do more than play board games. Frustrated and worried, Ranma spent time practicing with Herb and Konatsu, pushing until he was exhausted. Herb forced them to increasing the amount of time they spent practicing ki techniques, perfecting abilities like limited flight and ki manipulation. When Ranma wasn't training with his friends or training Akane, he meditated and ran through the Neko-ken kata, and his frustration emerged into the kata, deteriorating his form. Ranma was forced to spend increasing amounts of time to center himself through meditation.

The upside of this whole event was that Ranma actually had more free time than previously. He spent more time with Shinran, debating theological points and playing game after game of go. He also began a search for his mother, enlisting the aid of Soun and Nabiki. Nabiki had forgiven the three boys for their initial involvement with Akane's morning fights after it became clear that they really did have her interests at heart. Still, getting her to help had been costly.

"I'll get it." Ranma hopped up from latest game of go with Shinran to run into the temple's office to pick up the phone. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Ranma?"

"Speaking."

"This is Nabiki. I think we've found her."

* * *

Ranma ran over to the Tendo dojo. Kicking off his shoes in the entrance hall, he didn't bother to arrange them as he ran towards the tea room, where Nabiki was waiting. "Yo, Saotome."

"Where is she?" Ranma quickly

Nabiki slid a piece of paper across the table. "A word of caution, Saotome. We have no way of knowing if indeed this is your mother, so I suggest you send a letter before running over there. It might take a few days to confirm, but I think it might be worth it."

Ranma looked at the address, quickly memorizing it before reaching into his pocket to pull out a wallet. He quickly stuffed the slip of paper inside, and made to pocket the billfold.

"By the way, here is the bill for my work." Nabiki slid a second piece of paper his way. Ranma briefly glanced at it. Seeing nothing amiss, he simply opened his wallet and placed the required sum on the table.

"One more request, Nabiki?"

"What?"

"Help me write the letter?"

After the two decided what to say, Ranma requested some paper and a brush set. He wrote a draft, and then handed it to Nabiki to check. Seeing her nod in approval, Ranma wrote one more copy, paying careful attention to the calligraphy. When he was finished, Ranma got up from the table, only to find Happosai standing in front of him.

"Well, isn't that good news, Ranma. Feel like celebrating?" Something about the tone in Happosai's voice set Ranma on edge.

* * *

The celebration turned out to be a very brutal sparring match. Happosai wasn't pulling his punches. Ranma hadn't been slacking for two weeks, but he was alone and hard pressed to keep up with the pervert. Happosai landed another blow. Ranma rolled with the strike to help minimize the damage. With a growl, Ranma leapt to his feet and back into the battle.

The tide of the battle was slowly turning to favor Ranma. For what ever reason, Happosai began to steadily give ground as holes opened up in his defenses. Ranma was wary, but tried to capitalize on as many of the openings as possible. Ranma saw another opening and went for it. What he didn't expect was for Happosai to pull out a squirt gun.

Happosai grinned as Ranma blinked at the sudden change. It was all the opening Happosai needed. He pulled out his pipe and delivered a savage blow that stunned the girl. Happosai took his time and lit his pipe, taking a few good draws before walking over to the downed girl. He kicked her once in the ribs to flip her onto her belly. He reached into his gi to pull out a slip of paper. After a brief consultation, nodded and methodically pulled her shirt up to expose her lower back. With a deft motion, he plucked the pipe from his mouth and deposited a glowing hot ember on the exposed spot.

Ranma screamed as a searing pain expanded from her lower back. She lashed out, catching Happosai in the chin and sending him skywards. Ranma rolled onto her back, squirming and grinding her body into the dirt to try and quell the pain.

* * *

Ranma crawled to Tofu's clinic, her back still a searing mass of pain. Ranma briefly used some ki to shift forms so that he could enter as a male, and immediately regretted doing so. The pain became unbearable, bringing him to his knees. He sometimes forgot that his female form endured pain better. Gritting his teeth, he slid the door to the clinic open, puzzled at how much effort it took.

"Excuse me, Dr. Tofu?"

* * *

Tofu's face was grim as he examined the mark on the back of Ranma's back. The character meant 'poor,' but could also be interpreted as 'feeble'. He consulted some texts and sighed.

"Ranma, I've got real bad news. Looks like Happosai hit you with the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion."

"What does that do?"

Tofu sat down and adjusted his glasses. He motioned for Ranma to put his shirt back on. He waited until the boy had done so before speaking. "Basically, it makes you as weak as a baby, regardless of your level of mastery of martial arts. It means you can never win another fight, or even hurt anybody again until you have this reversed."

"Do you know how to do that, Dr. Tofu?"

"No. I don't think anyone does anymore, Ranma."

"Will it wear off?"

Tofu only shook his head. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Ranma. I'll look into it, but I can't promise anything."

Ranma looked grim as he digested the information.

* * *

Ranma wasn't the only one looking grim at the dinner table. Herb's left eye was twitching slowly, and Konatsu simply stared at his food. Shinran was quiet as well.

Shiran put his rice bowl down on the table. "There is no cure?"

"Tofu doesn't know of one, but he is looking into it."

"I will write to the Joketsuzoku and the Musk. They will surely know a cure." Ranma nodded to Herb, feeling slightly relieved.

"Ranma."

"Yes, Shinran?"

"You are always welcome here. I'd be happy to offer you a place in the registry."

Ranma bowed to the monk, using the motion as a cover for his tears.

* * *

The next morning Ranma sat in Tofu's office with his Herb and Konatsu. Akane had shown up as well, concerned when Ranma had not come to train with her this morning. Tofu told them of the map protected by a temple in the far north. He provided them with directions and a telephone number. With out any further words, they departed, taking the first train they could find.

The train ride was long and tense, with no one speaking very much. The hike to the temple was also tense, but being active had helped take the edge off a little bit. When they finally arrived, they were greeted by a monk of very advanced age. They quickly explained their reason for the visit as Ranma asked, "Do you have the map?"

The monk simply shook his head. "It was stolen some hundred years ago. But fear not! I have a picture of the person responsible." The old monk produced a letter and handed it to the assembled visitors.

Konatsu took the letter and read out loud, "My dearly beloved Jyushoku-sama..." He paused and handed it back to the monk. "I think that's a love letter."

The monk blushed and snatched the letter back. Rifling around in his robe, he produced another parchment, and examined it before handing it over. Ranma and the others looked at it and all spoke simultaneously.

"Happosai."

* * *

It was a perfect autumn day, clear and crisp but not cold, with nary a cloud in the sky. Kasumi was burning rubbish in the back yard. "Do you have anything else you'd like to get rid of, Grandfather?"

Happosai was going through his various possessions, trying to sort out what he could safely dispose of. He pulled out a map of the human body, briefly puzzled.

"I might as well get rid of this." He folded it up into an airplane, and threw it to the fire. Before it could reach, Ranma leapt over the back wall and snagged it out of the air, unfolding it and examining it. Herb and Konatsu landed as well, and together they examined the parchment.

"This is the map, guys. Let's get to Tofu's."

Happosai leapt forward and grabbed the map. "Nearly forgot what that was for." He jumped back to stand by the fire. "It is nice of you to bring your friends along to play, Ranma." He smiled at Herb and Konatsu, grinning as the pair glared at him. "I owe you three a lot of pain. If you want this map, you have to come get it."

Konatsu stepped forward, taking up a ready stance. Herb jumped to the left and mirrored his stance. Ranma shot around to the right, effectively trapping Happosai in the middle of a triangle.

Happosai took in his opponents, and held the map out over the flames behind him. "One at a time or this map gets destroyed." Ranma hesitated, glancing over at Herb and Konatsu. The look in their eyes mirrored his. If they gave into Happosai's demands, they'd never get the map.

"Who's going to be first, hmm?" Happosai brought the map closer to the flames. "Is it going to be you?" He pointed at Herb. "Or you, ninja-boy?" Happosai started to laugh but was cut short by a sudden rustling sound from behind. Turning to his head to look, he saw the map had caught fire.

"Oops."

The three boys reacted instantly, diving in to attempt to salvage the piece of paper. Happosai dodged for all he was worth, clutching the burning map in his hand as the boys frantically clawed at the paper. The flames became too hot for Happosai, and he dropped the remnants to the ground. All three boys immediately dove for the paper, struggling to put out the flames. Happosai escaped, using their attention on the paper as an opportunity to leap over the garden wall.

* * *

Tofu examined the remnants of the map and sighed. He placed one hand on Ranma's shoulder, and gently squeezed. "I'm sorry, Ranma." He gingerly placed the charred remains on the table. Less than a quarter remained, and most of that was heavily damaged. There important parts had been completely destroyed.

"Do you know of any other cure, Doctor?"

Tofu shook his head. Ranma just stared dejectedly at the paper. Herb and Konatsu stood behind him, both dumbstruck. Akane hesitantly approached the Ranma from behind, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry." She squeezed him softly. Her actions seemed to startle Konatsu, who gave himself a little shake. He wrapped Ranma in a hug as well. Herb joined, and together they held Ranma as he began to cry.

* * *

Happosai carefully landed in a tree in the backyard of the Tendo compound. Carefully examining the grounds, he saw no sign of anyone but Soun and Kasumi. He was pretty sure he had managed to shake any tails he might have acquired, but you could never be too careful. He dropped to the ground as silently as possible and dashed to the wall of the dojo, scanning his surroundings in search of pursuers. He began to work his way along the outside walls of the dojo, until he reached the window of his room. He jumped up and landed lightly on the sill, looking for anything out of place on the interior. Satisfied, he opened the window and dropped inside.

He began to frantically pull his various belongings out of the closets and dresser, shoving important articles into a backpack. Fully packed, he turned to leave only to have a pair of hands land firmly on his shoulders.

"Going somewhere?" Happosai shuddered at the look on Herb's face. Konatsu stood right behind, along with Ranma and Akane.

* * *

Happosai groaned as he gained consciousness. He did a quick inventory of his injuries and realized he was in serious trouble. Bruises and cuts were fine, but he wouldn't be going anywhere with both his legs and arms broken. He struggled to open his eyes. He was in a small room with concrete floors, hands tied and feet bound. He could hear Ranma's voice from the other side of the door.

"You can't KILL him, Herb. I don't care what he did to me."

"Why not?"

"Because that would be showing too much mercy, Husband."

"Ahh, your are right, Konatsu. Forgive me."

"NO!!! I don't care about revenge. I mean, I do, but don't torture him. It isn't right. A marital artist doesn't take advantage of the weak!"

"How about if we..." Was that Akane's voice? Happosai shook his head. He must be hallucinating.

"NO!!!! You're as bad as they are, Akane. I don't care how much of a pervert he is, I am not going to cut anything off!"

Happosai blanched. So he hadn't been hallucinating, after all. The pain began to overwhelm him, but the voices continued long after he blacked out.

* * *

He awoke to pain. Ranma was standing over him, asking him some questions. It took a moment for Happosai to realize the boy was inquiring about his health. After struggling for a few moments to get his throat to work, Happosai finally managed to croak out, "Water."

Ranma nodded, and moved away. Happosai finally got a view of his surroundings. He noticed the paneled Formica ceiling tiles and curtain surrounding the surface he was on. He realized he was either in a clinic or a hospital, and his suspicions were confirmed when the curtain was drawn back to reveal Dr. Tofu.

"Ah. You are awake." The Doctor pulled up a stool and sat down. "Besides being in pain, how do you feel?"

"I've felt worse."

"I seriously doubt that."

Happosai shrugged, and then grinned. He stopped though, because it hurt too much to smile. "You got me there."

"Why did you do it, Happosai?"

The old man didn't answer. He just looked away, studying the various charts on the walls of the clinic. Tofu sighed and looked at Ranma. The boy just shrugged, as if to say, 'I told you so.'

"Well, I've already set all the broken bones and such. You should thank Ranma. Even after what you've done to him, he wouldn't allow his friends to kill you. If I had been in his situation, I certainly would have let them." Tofu held up a small plastic cup with a couple of pills in it.

"I want you to take these. They will help with the pain somewhat." Happosai nodded. Tofu placed the pills in his mouth, and then carefully held a glass of water to the old man's lips, helping him drink. Satisfied that he had swallowed the pills, the doctor got up and went to his office, leaving Ranma alone with Happosai.

Ranma just stared at the man for a few minutes. The silence became uncomfortable, and Happosai spoke first to relieve the tension. "Why didn't you let them do it?"

"Forgive and forget. I didn't want your blood on their hands. I believe it was the best thing for all involved."

"You know there isn't any other cure, right?"

"We'll see."

"Ranma?"

"Yes?"

"You were good. I'm..."

"You don't have to say anything." Ranma cut him off. With that, he got up and walked out.

* * *

Konatsu watched from concealment as Ranma left. Making sure Tofu was still in his office, he crept over to where Happosai was starting to drift to sleep. He clapped a hand over Happosai's mouth to stifle any noise, and then leaned over to whisper in Happosai's ear, "Ranma may forgive and forget, but Herb and I want you to suffer." With that, he rolled the old man over, and quickly struck his desired target. Happosai thrashed, forcing Konatsu to hit a pressure point to subdue him. Satisfied with his handiwork, he returned Happosai to his original position and disappeared right as Tofu returned to check on the noise.

"Strange... I thought for sure I had heard something." With a shrug, Tofu returned to his office to finish the reports.

* * *

The two weeks since the fight had been strange for Ranma. He hadn't heard a reply from his mother yet, and that was weighing heavily on his mind. He still practiced the Art, but he had no strength. Training with Herb and Konatsu was difficult to bear. Ranma's control of ki was still the same as ever, and the strength of purely ki based maneuvers hadn't suffered. However, he was forced to use misdirection and moves which used an opponent's force against them. It was frustrating. Anything that required even the smallest amount of strength had become impossible.

With nothing better to do, Ranma had spent a good deal of time meditating, trying to pinpoint the weakness in his body. He had found the source of the weakness, but no amount of manipulation could change it. The cat had come out as well, lashing its tail and howling in fury. Ranma spent a good deal of time practicing the neko-ken katas. The rage inside of him had allowed for a good deal of control over the animal, but it wasn't healthy. In the long run, he had to find a better way, but for now the catharsis helped Ranma deal with the loss.

The other change had been Akane. She had always been very nice to him, but since this incident had become strangely protective of Ranma. She went out of her way to comfort the boy, even if he didn't need or want it. It was weird. He liked her and all, but he didn't quite know what to make of it, so he just kept pretending like nothing had changed. He still trained her in the morning, albeit with significantly less force than previously. Konatsu and Herb had resumed their training with her to make up for it.

The two of them were acting strangely. Herb was withdrawn, and Konatsu openly raged. Ranma had never seen the ninja openly angry before, and this new side of Konatsu was disturbing. The two sought solace in each other, judging from the sounds emanating from their quarters, when they weren't comforting Ranma.

* * *

Happosai was still in the hospital, but he refused to see anyone but Ranma after the initial visit. With all his limbs in casts, the old man wasn't going anywhere soon, but he and Ranma would sit and talk when the boy came to visit. He would occasionally rage against Konatsu, but refused to tell Ranma why. Even though Happosai might be the world's greatest letch, he was still one hell of a martial artist, and Ranma respected him for that. Ranma's reasons for going were simple – he hoped to jog Happosai's memory in case a possible cure came up.

Tofu took part in the discussions sometimes because he knew what kind of questions to ask. However, the doctor was becoming discouraged, because all his efforts had so far only confirmed his initial observation. There was no other known cure.

* * *

Akane was sparring with Konastu this morning, but it was apparent he was not concentrating. Konatsu withdrew in the middle of the battle, quietly scrutinizing the girl.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Akane?" She nodded her head. "How do you feel about Ranma?" Konatsu continued. "I know you like him, but what will you do about it?"

This question brought the girl up short. How was she supposed to answer that? Wait; did he just say what she thought he said? "What do you mean, I like him?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious. I'm married, you know. I catch Herb looking at me in the exact same way when he thinks I'm not looking."

Akane blushed. Was it that obvious?

"He likes you too, you know. I've never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you. Except that okonomiyaki chef..." Konatsu trailed off. He waved away Akane's attempted questions, "Anyway, my question is - what are you going to do about it?" She had no answer. "Can I give you a few suggestions?"

She nodded. Konatsu began to explain how things were done back in the Amazon village. She couldn't do that, could she?

* * *

Herb carefully noted the return address of the package before opening it. He pulled out a thick wad of parchment and a map. Briefly scanning the map, he read the letter from Ku Lon first, and then the letter from his father. He looked at the map once again before re-reading both letters carefully. He felt something he hadn't in a while. Hope. As slim as it was, there just might be a chance.

* * *

"What are you doing after school, Ranma?" The boy in question turned to look at Akane. There was something in her voice...

"Nothing much. Why do you ask."

"Can I take you out for ice cream? My treat."

"Yeah, sure." Ranma was puzzled. Akane seemed... nervous.

The ice cream was consumed in silence. Ranma kept looking at the girl in front of him as she became increasingly more nervous as time wore on. "Yo, Akane. You okay? What's up?"

The girl fidgeted. "Do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Put this on, then?"

Ranma looked dubiously at the blindfold the girl held out. "Ahh... Why?"

"I want to take you somewhere, but I don't want you to know where until we get there. Okay?"

"Um... sure?"

"Just put it on, before I lose my nerve." Ranma complied.

* * *

"So, where exactly are you taking me?"

"Shh. Consider it training."

"Right. What kind of training?"

The girl didn't answer.

Ranma extended his senses as much as he could. Only thing he knew was that they had just entered a quite building on the far edge of the district, judging by the train ride. He felt Akane take his hand and gently guide him up some stairs. He stumbled a bit on the last stair, expecting one more at the top. After making sure he was okay, he heard her messing with some keys, and then heard a door open. She led him inside, closing the door behind her.

He was surprised when she picked him up and threw him, face up, on a soft surface. What surprised him even more, however, was the feeling of her weight on top of him.

"What are you do... mmm?" He felt something warm and soft pressing against his lips. He attempted to rip off his blind fold, only to have Akane grab both of his hands and force them above his head.

"Konatsu told me about it. He said it's a game that the Amazons play. I think he called it 'learning to fall.'" With her free hand, she took off his blindfold, her face only inches from his. She slowly closed her eyes, and lowered her lips to his, kissing him once more. He didn't resist, but the shock was evident on his face.

"Should we be doing this?"

"Should we not?"

* * *

Sometime later, Ranma lay back, staring at the ceiling. Akane was curled up at his side, her head on his shoulder and an arm around his stomach. As much as he enjoyed it, things hadn't become any easier for him.

"What did we just do?"

* * *

"Sure, kill me if you want. It won't help you what you want." Happosai stared at his attacker. "I'll help you if you help me." Happosai could see that he had the attention of his assailant. "There are these two people that I want dead..."

* * *

"Where have you been, you guys? Come on, grab your stuff. We got to head out."

Ranma looked at Herb with a faintly puzzled air. He tried to grab the pack that was thrown at him, but the weight of it knocked him down. He hated how weak he had become. He could barely carry his own school books.

"Oh, sorry Ranma." Herb picked up the pack and slung it over his own shoulders. "Akane, can you meet us in 45 minutes? Be packed, for at least a week of camping."

"Why?"

"We're going to find a cure."

* * *

Akane raced out the door of the Tendo Dojo, pack loaded and heart pounding. She nearly ran over a stately woman in a Kimono, bearing a silk wrapped bundle in her arms. She apologized quickly, and headed out to catch the train, the woman already forgotten.

* * *

For all you Akane haters out there, deal. Why should it matter as long as a story is well written? Don't worry, I fully intend on writing other pairings as well, but since this is my first fiction attempt, I am going to write what I want. I enjoyed writing that little interaction, and plus, as someone pointed out earlier, Ranma needs to experience life a little more to make his ultimate decision. I do hope you enjoy this story. I have enjoyed writing it thus far. 


	15. Right Mindfulness, part 2

Akane sat with Herb around the campfire as Konatsu stirred a big pot of curry suspended over the flames. "We should probably give it another hour," Konatsu said to Akane. She nodded, and carefully stored that tidbit of information away. A pot of rice sat on a rock next to the flames, heating the water inside to boiling. "Shouldn't we check the rice?" Akane asked.

Konatsu smiled and shook his head. "Nope. Not for another 30-40 minutes at least."

Akane had cooked a meal for the group on the first night, but everyone became violently ill. She had agreed (been forced, really) not to cook again for the rest of the trip, but it didn't mean she couldn't learn. So, Konatsu had agreed to walk thru the process by which one made campfire curry. Konatsu sat down on the next to Herb. He glowed brightly for a second before his form shifted. Now female, she placed one of Herb's arms around her shoulders and leaned back into her husband.

This wasn't the first time Akane had seen the change, but it still surprised her. The fact that they treated the transformation so casually was puzzling. However, seeing Konatsu snuggle up to Herb, or vice versa, she had to admit it seemed right for those two. They were happy, and Akane was slowly coming to realize the wisdom behind Herb's words about form being irrelevant.

Akane leaned back against the log they had dragged over to the campsite. Gazing out over the campfire, she could just make out Ranma's form going through a complex kata that she didn't recognize. It looked alien to her, and she couldn't discern its purpose.

"What's that he's doing?" She jerked her head in Ranma's direction.

Konatsu looked over, and watched for a moment before answering. "Oh. Looks like he's doing the Neko-ken kata again."

"What's the Neko-ken?"

"Herb can explain it better than I can."

"Herb?"

The prince looked over at Ranma as the boy began to slowly speed up his motions. "I'll explain after he finishes. It might get a bit too noisy in a moment."

"What do you..." she was cut off by what sounded like a small thunderclap that quickly grew into a loud roar. The sound had come from where Ranma was practicing. She turned to watch but saw nothing. The boy had vanished; only by a wall of sound and an occasional puff of dust announced his presence.

Akane had to shout over the sound to get Herb's attention. He just shook his head, and mouthed 'wait a bit' before pointing and turning back to watch the display. She continued to watch the prince and Konatsu. Their eyes were tracking back and forth, tracking something she couldn't see.

She vainly stared out towards where Herb had pointed. Every once and a while, Ranma would suddenly materialize, holding a pose of either a block or some form of attack before vanishing. The sounds would stop with his appearance, and immediately resume upon again upon his vanishing. She slowly came to realize what the sounds were. Ranma was moving so fast that she couldn't see him and those thunderclaps were simply the shockwaves from the boy breaking the sound barrier.

Her brain locked up as she tried to comprehend this. She also realized that Herb and Konastu were having no trouble following the motions that were invisible to her. She began to wonder how truly powerful these people were, and for the first time began to have an inkling of how much Ranma must have lost from Happosai's 'punishment.'

* * *

Ranma flopped to the ground, exhausted by his workout. He smiled as Akane handed him a bowl of curry and rice. "Could you just hold that for a sec?" The girl nodded, and Ranma groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He scooted back a bit till his upper body rested against the log, and then reached up and accepted the curry from Akane.

"Thanks." He patted the ground next to him. Akane smiled and sat down. She held her own bowl in her hands, while Herb and Konatsu were on the other side of the fire. They had both finished eating earlier. Konatsu pulled out a shamisen and began to tune it, plucking at a string before turning the peg it was attached to.

Ranma and Akane watched as the ninja finished tuning, and launched into a soft tune. Entranced, the two began to eat as they listened. Even more surprising, Herb stood, and pulled out a fan, and began to dance along with the music. The impromptu performance would start and stop sporadically, as the two practiced.

"I didn't know that they could do that." Akane took a bit of her curry, pointing at the pair with her spoon.

"Herb's quite good. He has to know, being a prince and all. It's necessary for the court, and all that. And Konatsu..." Ranma shrugged. "Part of being a kuno-ichi is playing instruments. I'm surprised there doing Noh, though."

"Oh. Why are they doing it at all?"

"Herb said we'd need it tomorrow."

"Ranma?"

"Hmm?" Ranma turned to look at Akane, slowly chewing on the big bite of curry he had just taken.

"What's the Neko-ken?"

Ranma swallowed. Where to begin? "This could take a while." Konatsu's music continued in the background as he told Akane about how his father had tried to train him and died because of it. He told her about the effects of the technique – how it had driven him crazy and unstable. That led to finding Konatsu, and venturing to China with him. He told her about the Joketsuzoku and Jusenkyo, the Musk and how they had originally created the Neko-ken, and his attempts to master it. She was silent the whole time, eyes wide as she listened to his story.

"I never knew that about your father... I'm sorry, Ranma."

He just shrugged. "It's in the past. I've made my peace long ago. But I still have to master it, if only for my father."

"And what you did just now isn't mastery?"

"Heck no. See how tired I am? It should be as easy for me as breathing. Right now, I have to work up to achieve that state. According to the guy who trained me, it should be like throwing a punch. I can just do it. I shouldn't have to think about it."

"Oh..." Akane looked down into her curry. She slowly stirred it with a spoon, before asking her next question.

"Besides for you father, why do you need it?"

Ranma was silent for a while. He put down his curry and stood. He walked away, disappearing into the woods that surrounded the campsite. She heard the rustle of leaves, and Ranma came back carrying a stone about the size of a bowling ball.

"Happosai took my strength, but that doesn't mean I'm defenseless or anything." He handed her the stone. She looked it over, puzzled. Ranma just held up a hand to cut off any questions, taking the stone from her hands and held it one hand, palm down, at arms length. He stared at the stone for a bit. His right hand made an almost lazy slashing motion towards the stone, missing by nearly a foot. Akane gasped as the stone began to fall apart like a loaf of bread. He turned and sat, picking up his bowl of curry once more. "Go on, pick it up."

Akane put her own meal aside and picked up the pieces of the stone. She carefully picked up each piece, examining the new edges, noting that they were as smooth as any glass.

"How'd you do that?"

"The Neko-ken is more than just a fighting style- its ultimate focus and control of your ki. It allows you to infuse every last muscle and bone in your body with your ki, allowing increased flexibility, strength, speed, you name it." Ranma motioned with his spoon towards the pieces of stone that Akane was holding. "It also allows you to manifest that ki into attacks like that one."

"But this kind of power..." Akane fingered the edges of the stones, shivering at the thought of what that kid of attack would do to flesh. "It seems only good for killing."

Ranma nodded. "If I never get my strength back, I'm going to need some way to protect myself short of deadly force. That is exactly why I have to master the Neko-ken. So I never have to kill again. I'm close, but I'm missing something."

Ranma took a bite of curry. Akane mirrored him, but her thoughts weren't on the food.

"What are you missing?"

"Balance. Acceptance. Compassion. Love." Ranma shrugged. "I don't know, exactly. It could be any number of things."

They were quite after that, concentrating on eating dinner. Ranma finished a bit before Akane, but he waited until she finished eating before taking her bowl. "No, Ranma, you go clean up. I'll do the dishes." The boy nodded, and quickly headed off to a nearby stream to wash up. Akane had finished cleaning up by the time Ranma returned in female form. Akane was muttering to herself as she looked at her.

"Huh? What's that about the form mattering, Akane?"

The girl blushed. With that, she grabbed Ranma's hand and dragged the protesting girl back to her tent.

* * *

"Who are we are looking for exactly, Herb?" Ranma was not the only one disturbed by the large animals roaming the forest. A flying squirrel the size of a truck leapt from the trees in front of him, crashing through the foliage before disappearing.

"My 'cousin.' He is said to reside in deep in this forest." Herb led the way, cutting a path through the underbrush with a blade of ki. "Watch out for that trap." He said that for Akane's benefit, who was lost in thought as she walked along.

Akane was startled by the warning, and stopped short, one step away from falling into the hole. "Thanks." She looked around, taking in her surroundings once again. "You know, I have the strangest feeling that I've been here before. What did you say this place was called?"

Herb grunted. "Ryuzengawa." He cut down another bush. "Let's hurry. It would be... unpleasant... to meet my 'cousin' in the dark."

* * *

Herb stopped at the edge of the forest before it gave way to a large lake. At one end a large cave had been carved out of the side of a mountain, and the lake flowed into it. He held up a hand to make everyone stop. "Akane, you are well advised to stay well clear. My cousin becomes... irrational around women." Taking off his backpack, Herb began to unload a number of large bottles of Sake. Konatsu followed his example, slinging the shamisen off his shoulder and unpacking his bag as well.

When the two were finished, Herb nodded to Ranma. "Follow me." As the three began to walk away, Herb turned once more to Akane. "No matter what, DO NOT leave the cover of the trees."

* * *

Herb walked to the entrance of the cave and gently put down the bottles of rice wine he was carrying. Konatsu stepped forward and added his bottles to the pile before resuming his place behind Herb. Satisfied, Herb crossed his arms in front of his chest, and took a deep breath. Slowly exhaling, he began to release his aura.

* * *

Akane watched in awe as Herb began to power up. From nowhere a small breeze sprang up, stirring the leaves in the trees. Small stones and debris began to vibrate on the ground near Herb. His aura grew stronger and larger, and as it did the wind began to pick up. Stones began to levitate above the ground, suspended in the air. Herb stood burning as bright as the noon day sun, his aura a massive globe around him. His aura began to contract, condensing to a painfully bright corona around Herb until it seemed like a second skin before it exploded outward with a mighty roar, taking the shape of a one hundred foot dragon ascending to the heavens.

Near by, Ranma and Konatsu both shielded their eyes from the display. The form that Herb's aura created ceased its roar, and began to dissipate. The corona that surrounded Herb still blazed brightly, however.

"Um. Herb, what are you doing?"

"I am informing him of my presence. Now be quiet, Ranma. He comes. Speak only if spoken to."

The ground around there feet began to tremble. Faintly at first, and then with increasing volume, a gurgling noise issued forth from the mouth of the cave. The lake began to churn, and the water level began to rapidly sink. A massive plume of mist bellowed from the mouth of the cave, catching Ranma, and Konatsu unawares, triggering the curse. Herb's aura simply evaporated the water before he could be hit.

Herb told the two to change back. Herb picked up the bottles of sake in front of him, and walked into the cave, waving for Ranma and Konatsu to follow his example. The cave was massive, and the ground gently sloped towards the water. Herb walked to the edge of the water and took off his shoes and rolled his pants up to his knees. Hiking up his tunic, he stepped in to the water. It began to instantly boil when it came into contact with his aura, sending up a cloud of steam and obscuring Herb's form.

Herb allowed his aura to flare once again. The water at his feet was pushed back completely, creating and air space around the prince. "I call on you, Yamato no Orochi!"

* * *

Akane watched with trepidation as steam began to pour out of the mouth of the cave. The boys had gone in not a moment before. Herb had been very clear about staying here, but ... Akane leaned back against a tree and continued to stare at the billowing steam, pensively biting her lip.

* * *

Ranma heard Konatsu's echoing gasp as a giant seven headed hydra slowly rose from the churning water. The heads scanned the room, drawing a bead on the three figures standing before them. Three heads drew close to scrutinize Herb with its yellow eyes, while the remaining four heads scrutinized Ranma and Konatsu.

"I bring gifts." Herb held the bottles of Sake up for beast to examine. One of the heads swung from Herb to the bottle, carefully examining it. The beast narrowed its eyes, and swung back to Herb. It issued forth a low growl, flicking its forked tongue between slightly open jaws.

Herb nodded, and created a small ki blade, slicing the top off the bottle. He carefully approached the head, which came closer to the ground, and tilted its head back, opening its throat. Herb poured the entire contents of the bottle into the beast's mouth before stepping back a bit.

The head closed its jaws and swallowed. The corners of its eyes turned up, and it issued forth a prodigious burp. Immediately following this, the other six heads all lowered themselves to the ground, opened their jaws, and tilled their heads back.

"Ranma, quickly! Open more bottles!" Ranma jumped into action. Herb then turned to Konatsu. "Can you play some dance tunes?" Konatsu nodded, and pulled a shamisen from somewhere and began to tune it. Ranma was feeding the heads a bottle of sake one at time. By the time each head had consumed the contents of a bottle, Konatsu began to play.

The beast began to bob each head in time with the music. Herb stepped out of the water, and allowed his aura to die. He reached into his tunic, and pulled out a dazzling gold fan, on depicting a dragon on one side and the phoenix on the other. Herb waited until Konatsu finished the first piece before giving the ninja a nod. The tune changed to a dramatic piece, and Herb began dancing. The Orochi ignored the sake as it watched Herb, transfixed by the grace of his movements and the subtle use of his fan as he began to tell a story.

As Herb danced, he began to chant the following lines:

The world is so unsure, unknowable;  
Who knows -- our griefs may hold our greatest hopes.

Truly in this uncertain world  
All that befalls us comes our way  
As recompense for what we've done before.  
In his previous existence  
He observed intently the laws of Buddha  
And in this life was born a prince,  
Yet why was it -- ever since he lay,  
An infant wrapped in swaddling clothes  
His eyes have both been blind: For him  
The sun and moon in heaven have no light;  
In the black of night his lamp is dark;  
The rain before the dawn never ends.

Behold -- this is how a prince,  
Has reached the last extremity of grief.  
  
Travelers and men on horses  
Riding to and from the Capital,  
Many people, dressed for their journeys,  
Will drench their sleeves in sudden showers  
How hard it is to abandon him,  
To leave him all alone --  
How hard it is to abandon him,  
To tear ourselves away.  
  
But even farewells must have an end;  
By the light of the daybreak moon  
Stifling tears that have no end, they depart.  
  
They say that sandalwood reveals its fragrance  
From the first two leaves dashed; but how much closer still  
Are we who sheltered beneath a single tree!  
The wind rising in the orange blossoms  
Awakens memories we shall preserve  
We who flowered once on linking branches!  
The love between brothers is told abroad:  
Jozo and Jogen, Sori and Sokuri;  
And nearer at hand, in Japan  
The children of Emperor Ojin,  
The princes Naniwa and Uji,  
Who yielded the throne, each to the other:  
All these were brothers and sisters  
Bound in love, like us, like linking branches.

The sound of the shamisen died away with the last of Herb's words. Only the sounds of the Orochi's breathing could be heard as silence reigned in the cave. The seven heads of the Orochi each bowed to Herb before quietly slipping under the waves. Ranma started to ask a question, but Herb shot up a hand and a warning glare to silence his friend.

The middle of the lake began to churn once again as the Orochi's eight and largest head arose from the waters. It gazed at each boy in turn, lingering longest on Ranma. The Orochi approached the shore. The other seven heads broke the surface of the waters, and for the first time Ranma got a glimpse of the whole creature. It had seven heads, attached by serpentine bodies to the eight head, the last and largest. Each of the smaller heads were about the size of an elephant, while the final head's teeth were each as big as Ranma.

The Orochi rested its largest head on the ground in front of Herb, dwarfing the man. The beast opened its mouth slightly and inhaled sharply, almost pulling Herb into its jaws.

"YOUR PERFOMANCE HAS PLEASE US, LITTLE DRAGON." The Orochi's voice boomed through the cavern, causing Ranma and Konatsu to wince. Herb, for his part immediately dropped to his knees and bowed, touching his forehead to the ground.

"You honor me with your kind words, Venerable Ancestor." Herb did not move from his position as he spoke.

"RISE."

Herb rose from his bowed position, but remained seated with his shins tucked underneath is legs, his hands on his thighs.

"WHY DID YOU CALL UPON US?"

Herb bowed again, but rose before he spoke. "We seek knowledge and Wisdom, Wise One. My brother has been stricken by an evil man, and the remedy to the malady has been lost." Herb paused. "He has been marked, and as a result has lost his strength. The only know cure has been destroyed. It is said that you know many things lost to us lesser beings, Venerable Ancestor."

The Orochi's eyes flicked towards Ranma. "SHOW US."

Ranma turned around, and quickly pulled his shirt over his head. He could hear the Orochi coming closer as well as feel its hot breath on his back. After a careful examination of the mark, the Orochi withdrew. It drew it head up until it brushed the top of the cavern, its yellow eyes flashing bright red. The beast lowered its head, and extended its tongue towards Ranma. It held a single scroll wrapped carefully in the tip, which uncurled and dropped to the ground by Ranma's feet

The Orochi turned and slowly sank back beneath the waves. When the beast was completely submerged, Ranma heard Herb release a loud sigh of relief. He smoothly rose to his feet from where he still knelt, walking over towards Ranma. Konatsu put away his instrument and hurried over as well.

Ranma bent over to and picked up the scroll. Undoing the bindings, he unrolled it and began reading. Herb looked over his shoulder as Konatsu arrived. Ranma read the scroll twice to make sure he understood the instructions completely. Ranma handed the scroll to Konatsu, who shared it with Herb. The two finished reading then looked up at Ranma. As one they turned and marched quickly out of the cave.

* * *

Akane was fidgeting uncontrollably as she waited for her friends to come out of the cave. The sounds of the shamisen had long since died away, leaving the area silent for quite some time now. Reaching into her pack, she started to rifling around looking for some food when she saw the three boys emerge. Jumping up, she raced over.

"Did it work?"

Ranma shook his head, saying, "We're about to find out."

* * *

Back at the campsite, Herb stared intently into the fire as it blazed, poking the glowing embers with a stick until they were evenly spread. "Akane, have you got a 500 yen coin?"

The question caught her off guard. "Uh, I think. Just a second." She opened the one of the outside pockets on her pack and began to dig. She flipped it to the boy with a "here you go." She watched with curiosity evident on her face as Herb tossed it into the fire. "What's that for?"

"For my cure." Ranma crawled out of his tent, only wearing his pants. Akane blushed when she got caught staring at his muscular chest by a wink from Herb. "I'm ready when you are, Herb."

Herb nodded. "This could hurt."

"Most things that are good for you do."

Herb instructed Ranma to lie on the ground face down next to him. He snapped a small portion of the stick he had been holding and offered it to Ranma.

"What's this for?"

"To bite down on, if you need it."

Ranma just gave Herb a flat lidded gaze from his position on the ground.

Herb grinned. "Yeah, you're right. That was pretty stupid. Let's do it." With that, Herb used the stick he had been holding to flip the coin into from the fire and into air, towards the pig-tailed martial artist. Right before the coin could land on Ranma's back, Herb lashed out with a lighting fast punch to Ranma's lower back, sandwiching the burning coin between his fist and Ranma. Akane blinked as she heard a sizzling sound.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Ranma whipped around and smashed Herb with a vicious uppercut. To Akane's surprise, Herb flew high into the air before he was able to use his ki to stop his flight. Herb slowly lowered himself to the ground, grinning and rubbing his jaw.

"Seems like it worked..."

* * *

The celebration was... lively. They had several bottles of sake left over from what the Orochi hadn't drank, and between Konatsu's playing and booze, it turned into a drunken party. Herb was in his female form, draped over a stupidly grinning Konatsu, who was struggling to play his instrument as Herb's hands wandered.

"Get a room, you guys..." Ranma slurred and leaned back to look at the stars, trying to keep the world from spinning. Akane stumbled back from woods where she had just finished relieving a full bladder. She came over to Ranma and snatched the bottle he'd been holding and took a deep swig.

Ranma sat up and tried to take the bottle away. "Might wanna slow down a lil', Akane." She just waved his concern away, and handed the bottle back to him. She pushed him back to the ground before swinging her legs over his hips and straddled him. With a grin, she leaned forward and kissed him, ignoring the cat calls from Herb and Konatsu.

Her voice was husky as she asked, "Wanna show me how much of a big strong man you are?" Ranma obliged by lifting her off of him before sweeping her up into his arms. Konatsu and Herb's laughter echoed into the night as Ranma carried Akane to his tent.

* * *

"And you complain that we're loud?" Ranma grimaced as Konatsu ribbed him once again.

"Can you hold it down a bit? My head's killing me." Ranma peered over at Akane who was passed out against the train window. She was in even worse shape than he was. Considering how much they drank last night, it wasn't surprising. Herb was in the best shape of all – he had the highest tolerance, and after he resumed his male form was hardly affected by the previous night.

"You're still louder. You can hear Herb almost a mile away."

"How long has this been going on, Ranma?" Herb failed to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Not long. She... took advantage of me when I was weakened. I couldn't fight her off." He grinned. "It's not like I fought tooth and nail, but..."

"Doesn't that violate some sort of teacher-student principles?" Herb asked.

"Hey, I was the one who was violated first. She started it."

Konatsu jumped in, "Do you love her?"

Ranma shrugged. "Do I have to?"

Konatsu was scandalized. "Ranma! You should have stopped her."

"I couldn't, honestly. You know how she is when she gets determined to do something... I didn't want to, either. I mean, hell, she's pretty, and spunky, and... Plus, with you guys constantly raving about how great everything is, I wanted to find out for myself."

"And?"

Ranma just grinned. "Well, she does this thing where she..." Konatsu and Herb both 'oohed' at Ranma's descriptions.

"We'll have to try that some time." Konatsu gave Herb a meaningful look before looking over at the sleeping girl. The conversation quickly devolved into a conversation about sexual preferences and techniques. Afterwards, Ranma looked at the pair with a whole new appreciation.

"And you really like it when Herb does that to you? Wow. I mean... Uh."

Konatsu became serious for a second. "You guys are using protection, right?"

Ranma flipped the question back around. "Are you guys?"

"Of course! You don't acquire 3000 years of Amazon history with out learning a thing or two." Konatsu frowned. "You still didn't answer my question!"

Ranma grimaced. "She said it would be safe."

"Ranma!" Konatsu was scandalized. "You idiot! You can't depend on 'she said.' Now, listen carefully..."

Ranma was rather embarrassed by the graphic content of the conversation. He promised to heed Konatsu's advice in the future. Once Konatsu was placated, Ranma asked a question, his tone turned serious. "Now, what did you guys do to Happosai?"

* * *

First things first - A shamisen is a japanese banjo. Great twangy sound, often used in Kabuki, Bunraku, dance, and other classical japanese arts.  
second, the 'poem' that herb chants is a translated excerpt from a Japanese Noh Drama called Semimaru. the full text, in Japanese and english, can be found at this excellent website:  
  
Some complain that Noh is torture. I beg to differ - under the right circumstances and with a proper mind set, it can be considered one of the world's high arts. I might be biased, considering how I have been heavily influenced by the Japanese theater, and Noh in particular. (One of the most profound influences on this story, even if this is really the first chance i had to work it into the story.)  
  
Plus, the plight of Semimaru fit Ranma's percisely.  
  
Now, for questions and answers: (i PROBABLY won't answer every review)  
Hiryo writes:  
Even if it's headed there (Akane). I like the story even that much to read it although it bugs me mayorly. My only hope is that he have really more experience in the fare away future... Must he be coupled up? ;p Seriously I like your story and until the 'danger' of R&A pairing I liked it very much... but than that's my quirk with having problems with ALL fics to read witch pairs them up and must 'motivate' myself to read them... Most authors forget what they want after a 'review' and want to please their reviewers that much to change the story path. There are good reviews and such... but you and all there should limit how much they want to change their fics. After all all reviewer are biased on their believes... BTW thanks for updating  
  
Glad you like the story - And you make a valid point. My story has already been influenced by my reviewers to some extent, but I am trying ot minimize that as much as possible. I am well on track to the achieving the original end that I had envisioned even before I started writing this. Had I written it all in one go, as opposed to chapter by chapter, I am sure it would have been a little more tightly focused.  
I won't address the 'danger' of a Ranma/Akane pair up. If it annoys you, I'm sorry. But I am not going to change what I have written, nor what I intend to write.  
  
obsidian-fox writes:  
"Honestly, I do hate Akane... but you aren't doing a Ranma/Akane matchup. You don't have Ranma or Akane in your fiction; you have this new character with the name Ranma and a completely different attitude towards life, and another new character named Akane that has somehow learned to deal with emotions. "  
  
Someone who understands! Thank you!  
  
"They say you can never step into the same river twice, for both you and the river change in each moment. In any case, your Akane is somewhat out of her original character. Not unreasonably so, with the events in your story... but she isn't the same Akane we all know and hate. "  
  
"You're writing a story about the four virtues. I'm sure you know what I mean."

I might. I know about the four truths that want to write about, but there are many virtues. :) (just pulling your chain.) Thank you for the understanding review.

Rudy writes:  
"It's a very entertaining fic, and I'm enjoying it thus far. I guess I'll just have to cross my fingers that it doesn't end up RA."

Sigh. Oh well. You can keep 'em crossed, but keep reading.

Jerry Unipeg writes:  
"I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!"

Thanks! I love that you love all my chapters. That kind of encouragement is wonderful, but sometimes authors seek a little more specificity, like "I LOVE THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE IT ROCKS." You were one of my first readers, and most loyal fan. (god, do I have a fan?) I'm glad you like it, and hope you keep reading.  
: )

Warp Wizzard writes;  
"I don't hate Akane, she's just a boring love interest."

I would have to disagree. She is the most interesting because she is so conflicted about her feelings. Ukyo loves Ranma, Shampoo loves/covets Ranma (anything that clear cut truly IS boring) while Akane is

Ambivalent

at best. It can be easy to inturpret Akane's behavior in any number of ways. Since I have only the comics to go by (in the original), it is very clear over the course of the 38 volumes that Ranma and Akane do feel strongly towards each other, but again this is left deliciously undecided and

Ambivalent

. (Notice a theme?) Other pairings that I have seen and enjoyed trememdously have been Nabiki and Ranma, and Akane and Shampoo. Well writen, there is enough ambiguity and complexity in those relationships to merit interest, but for me, nothing beats the good ol' Ranma and Akane, provided it's well written, and not just some sappy wank fest.

Okay, so that's it for now. Thank you all so much for reading. I leave you with a final thought:  
A monk walks into Ucchan's, and asks her for an okonomiyaki. "What do you want on it, sugar?"  
The monk replies, "Make me One with everything"

(you can facefault.)

* * *


	16. Right Mindfulness, part 3

"I'm home!!!" Akane stumbled into the foyer, struggling to kick off her hiking boots while she pulled her pack off her shoulders. She felt cranky, stiff, and hungry. The hangover certainly wasn't helping her mood any, either.

Kasumi came down the hall to greet her sister. "Welcome back, Akane!" She reached for Akane's pack and received a very grateful smile from the younger girl. "Did you have a good time?"

"Wonderful, except for the hangover. I just had a little too much to drink last night."

"Akane!"

"Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be drinking, but it was a celebration." Akane finished unlacing her shoes and took them off

"Oh? What were you celebrating?"

Akane just waved her sister's question away. "I'll tell you later, but I really feel like a bath right now. Is it ready?" She saw Kasumi nod before she bent over to arrange her shoes in the entrance before taking the pack from her sister.

"Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes, Akane."

"Oh, alright. I'll be down when I'm done."

"Akane..."

"Yeah?"

"Can you give Ranma a call first? Invite him over to dinner. Someone is here to see him."

"Ah... Can you do it, Sis? I really want to take a bath first."

"Well..."

"Please?"

"Okay, as long as you tell me about your trip."

"I'll tell you about it all later, okay?" Akane walked towards her room and noticed in passing that a middle-aged woman in a kimono was sitting in the tea room with her father and Nabiki. She shrugged it off, eager to drop her backpack off and take a bath.

* * *

Akane relaxed into the bath, wringing her body towel out over the edge before leaning back until her head rested on the edge of the tub. Settling back, she folded the towel over and placed it on her eyes, blocking out the light. In the calm of the tub, she finally started to face some of the nagging uncertainties that had accumulated over the last few days.

She wondered what her sisters would think if they knew she'd jumped some boy's bones. The thought made her giggle. But, she had done something she swore she'd never do – she had acted on impulse and taken advantage of someone else's weakness. She wasn't much better than Kuno, with what he used to try every morning. Ranma hadn't complained, of course, but she hadn't given him much choice about that first time in the love hotel. She didn't quite know what she had with the boy. It was part desire, part respect, part... Akane didn't know. She had never mentioned love, and he certainly didn't seem inclined to say anything.

As confused as she was, she did know that she trusted him. He was gentle when they weren't sparing, caring and considerate, a good teacher, intelligent, and it didn't hurt that he was gorgeous. But then again, he was kind and considerate to everyone but Happosai. Konatsu had given her the initial go ahead. He had made it clear that if Ranma didn't want to do what... what they had done, he wouldn't have, no matter how weak he might have been. He had girls throwing themselves all over him back at home in China, and had never succumbed to any advances as far as the ninja's knew. So, that he had submitted to Akane's attempts had to count for something, right?

She sighed. She wanted more – more training, more time alone with Ranma, more of that feeling she sense of security and completeness she had with him, but she was afraid and confused. Why hadn't she wanted to talk to Ranma? Somehow, she didn't think things were going to get any easier. It had been her choice, so she'd deal with the consequences. She got out of the tub after soaking a few more minutes.

* * *

Akane walked into the tea room to see that same woman was still being entertained by her father. Soun saw Akane approaching and called out to her. "Oh, there you are Akane. Do you want some tea?" Soun placed a mug in front of her spot on the table and showed her the tea pot. "It's some lovely green tea that Mrs. Saotome brought over."

"Sure, father." Akane began to sit when her brain caught up to the statement. "Wait, Mrs. Saotome? As in Ranma Saotome?"

Soun chuckled. "Where are my manners? I'd forgotten you haven't met yet. Akane," he pointed to the woman in the kimono, "this is Nodoka Saotome, Ranma's mother. Nodoka, this is my youngest daughter, Akane. She will be joining us for dinner as we discuss some issues."  
Akane exchanged greetings with Nodoka to once the formal introductions were exchanged.

"Ahh, forgive me father, what issues are you referring too?"

"Oh, just some stuff concerning the Dojo." Akane had the distinct impression her father wasn't telling her the whole truth.

* * *

Ranma was quiet during his game of Go with Shinran. Between his hangover and his thoughts, his mind really wasn't into the game, and it showed. The monk was destroying him.

"Care to tell me what's on your mind, Ranma?" Shinran placed another stone. Ranma looked at the board. The outlook was bleak. He could see that in ten moves the monk would control over half the board.

Ranma bowed slightly at the waist as he said, "I concede this game." With that, he began to clear the board. Shinran started to clear his pieces as well.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it, Ranma?"

"It's nothing."

Shinran just watched as Ranma methodically placed the stones back into their case for a bit. "Hmm... Looks like girl trouble to me." Ranma dropped the stone from nerveless fingers. "Oh, you mean I was right?" The monk began to cackle. "Oh, do tell, Ranma. Do Tell!"

The good natured ribbing seemed to work. Slowly, Ranma opened up to Shinran. He listened patiently till Ranma stopped talking before saying anything. "You want me to tell you if it's right or wrong, don't you?" Ranma nodded. "I'm not going to. You know that, don't you?" Ranma frowned as he nodded again. "How do you feel about it, Ranma?"

The boy stared into his hands for a bit as he pondered. "I'm mostly just... confused, I think. I feel weird having done... that with a student." He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, I think she's attractive, and, I like her, and well, frankly we had a great time, but..."

"But?"

"I keep feeling like I failed. I should have been able to resist temptation a little better. I could before..."

"Ranma, look at me." The boy looked up to catch Shinran looking at him in the eye. "If it were easy no one would ever falter. It just shows you are human. If you are intent upon your path, you will learn how to deal with this in time. Do you understand?"

"I... Yes. No. I mean... What should I do?"

"Do you want me to answer as a monk or a person?"

"As if you were in my position."

"Ranma, you're young yet. Enjoy yourself. Be happy. See where it leads. Who knows? You will find that life rarely goes as planned. Very few individuals manage to plot a course and stay true. Why should you be any different?"

"Because..."

"Because?"

"I was asked a long time ago to master the Art. Isn't mastering yourself part of that?"

"Yes – but you can't master yourself until you know yourself, Ranma."

"You're saying I should just give up?"

"No. These things take time. You shouldn't expect do to in years what most people spend eons trying to figure out."

"And that makes it alright?"

Shinran smirked. "It was that good, huh?"

The boy blushed and smiled. "Yeah, I guess."

"Even the Buddha was married and bore a son before he began austerities, Ranma. If you don't know the pleasures of the flesh and the pain of love, how can you expect to really overcome them?"

* * *

Herb wasn't particularly paying attention to his surroundings as he returned home with a bag full of groceries for the evening's dinner. He was in a very pleasant mood, enjoying the sunshine and the bruise on his jaw that Ranma had given him. It was nice to have his friend back to full strength. Not that Ranma wouldn't have been welcome back with the Musk had he remained weakened, but Herb would have missed such an entertaining sparing partner.

Because Herb hadn't been paying attention, he barely had time to dodge the knife thrown at the back of his head. He managed to evade the blow, but unfortunately lost a block of tofu to the concrete in the motion. Annoyed, glanced down at the ruined block of soy bean curd before turning to see who had thrown the weapon. Herb turned to face his assailant.

The figure facing him was wrapped in a thick cloak, obscuring both form and size. Below his cloak a pair of white kung fu pants and black slippers peaked out, along with a piece of sheer fabric that hung down to the knees. The person was slightly shorter than Herb, though.

"Are you Herb of the Musk?"

Herb ignored the question and bent over, calmly placing his groceries down. He straightened up, pointing to the ruined food.

"You made me drop my tofu."

"Cry about it a little, why don't you?"

"I always appreciate it when I am attacked first and asked questions later."

"Well?"

"Before I answer, what is your name?"

The figure paused before answering. "Taro."

"Taro what?"

"Just Taro."

"Ahh. I see." Herb began to nod his head, rubbing his chin sagely as he spoke.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Yes, I am. Glad you caught on so quickly. Perhaps you aren't as stupid as you look?" Herb smirked a bit.

"Yeah, nice to know I amuse you. Now are you Herb or what?"

"I am. I have a few questions for you, Just Taro. Are those," Herb pointed at the fabric hanging down, "pantyhose?"

The boy in question growled.

Herb held up his hand, "My second question: why did you attack me?"

"Yes and because! Now shut up and die!" The boy lashed out with a blindingly fast punch at Herb's face. Herb calmly caught the punch in one his palm, crushing the boy's hand in his grip, forcing him to his knees.

"You realize that I am going to enjoy hurting you very, very badly, right?" Herb's aura began to flare.

* * *

Taro gritted his teeth as Herb landed yet another punishing blow past his defenses to send him crashing to the wall behind him. Taro struggled to his feet as Herb simply walked forward calmly, clearly enjoying demolishing his opponent. Happosai had told him these two were powerful, but this was ridiculous. Well, Taro knew how to even the odds real quick. Taro threw his cloak off into Herbs face, reaching for his flask at the same time. Taro upended the contents over his head. He instantly changed into a giant minotaur with wings and an eel for a tail, standing more than twice Herb's height.

Herb allowed his aura to flare briefly, incinerating the cloak before it obscured his vision. Herb's smirk changed to a grin when he saw Taro change into his cursed form. Herb cracked his knuckles and said, "Oh good! Jusenkyo! Just when I thought this fight might be boring."

* * *

Herb fingered his bloody lip as he watched 'Just Taro' take to the air and fly away. The fight had certainly gotten much more interesting after the transformation. Taro hit about as hard as his man servant Lime, and that was saying something. Of course, Taro soon found out that Herb hit even harder, and happened to be much faster.

"Well," Herb said to nobody in particular, "that was certainly random." Scooping up the rest of his groceries, he eyed the ruined tofu before walking away. Herb thought back to the battle. He was satisfied in the outcome; the two ribs of Taro's that he'd broken seemed a fair exchange for a bloody lip and the tofu.

* * *

Pantyhose Taro tried to keep from wincing as Dr. Tofu wrapped his ribs in a binding to keep his ribs from moving too much. Every breath was agony. Herb could fucking hit!

"Now, you are going to have to let this heal for a few weeks." Dr. Tofu finished wrapping the bindings and clipped the lose ends. "You should be thankful that these are the only bones you broke. Honestly, stepping into an oncoming truck as training!" The doctor continued to mutter as he put away his supplies. Taro definitely heard "stupid martial artist," and a "get himself killed," before the doctor stood to leave the room.

When the doctor was finally gone, Taro turned to the bed ridden Happosai. "You didn't tell me he was this strong, you old freak! I should just kill you now!"

"That won't help you get your name changed."

Taro growled. "Well, what should I do? I can't take Herb. And if Konatsu is as strong as that, I won't come out any better next time."

"You could always use your cursed form."

"I DID!"

Happosai paused. If his arms hadn't both been in casts, he would have scratched his chin as he pondered. "Hmm...Well, Pantyhose, you seem like a smart kid. I suggest you think of something."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

* * *

Herb walked into the kitchen with the groceries. His lip had stopped bleeding long ago, and a little ki had managed to mostly heal the wound. "Konatsu, dear?"

"Yes, Herb?" Konatsu walked into the kitchen from the back, where he'd been practicing.

"If you go shopping, you might want to avoid the tofu. I think there may be a shortage."

"Why's that?"

"Someone tried to steal mine today."

"Oh. In a 'I'm hungry and can't afford my own', or 'this is a vendetta and you will die' kind of way?"

"The latter."

"Should we tell Ranma?"

"Naw – he'd probably love to take on a mugger or two. Where is he, anyway?"

"Oh, he just left. He's going over to the Tendo's for dinner. Apparently there is someone there to see him."

"What about Shinran?"

"Off administering last rights. He won't be back for hours."

Herb suddenly shifted forms to his female half. She walked over to Konatsu and grabbed the boy by the front of his trousers. "Well, since we are all alone and don't have any tofu tonight, how do you suggest we get some protein?" The grin on her face was anything but innocent.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Ranma entered the foyer and began taking of his shoes. He balanced the flowers and the gifts he'd brought in one hand as put his shoes to the side. Kasumi came to greet him as he finished. He offered the wrapped gift towards the girl. "Here, these are for your family. Ryuzengawa manju. They're pretty tasty, and shaped like giant animals."

"Oh, thank you, Ranma. How nice of you. Come on in."

Ranma followed her to the tea room. Everyone was assembled around the table. Kasumi handed Ranma's gift to Soun before heading into the kitchen to bring out the meal. Seated next to Soun was a middle aged woman in a kimono, clutching a silk wrapped bundle in her arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a guest tonight, Mr. Tendo. I can leave if you wish."

"This person is here to see you, Ranma."

Ranma just looked at Soun, eyebrows squinted. He seemed... happy about something.

"Ranma, I want you to meet your mother, Nodoka."

* * *

Dinner had long since ended, and the table cleared away. Ranma and Nodoka sat talking as the rest of the Tendo's vacated the room, giving them privacy.

"Are you sure you want me to continue?" Ranma reached over to grab Nodoka's hand. His mother's hand. He could hardly believe it. But here he was, telling his mother, whom he hadn't seen in more than ten years, about how his father had died.

The woman nodded her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Please, Ranma. I need to know."

Ranma nodded. He could understand that. He continued his story, trying to make up for ten years of lost time with a simple narrative.

* * *

"You turn into a what?" Nodoka clutched the silk bundle to her chest, hands gripping the contents so hard her knuckles popped."

"I turn into a woman. I still don't have complete control over the curse, but I'm close. It may take a couple of years." He stared at his mother for a second, realization dawning. "Actually, now that I think about it, I look a lot like you." He took a sip of his tea as he thought for a second, "It's really cool, truth be told. I haven't been spending nearly as much time in my other form since coming to Japan, and I kind of miss it. So much better than being male when it comes to certain things..." Ranma trailed off.

"Like what?"

"Oh, like dealing with pain, and getting ice cream. Random stuff."

"You like being a woman?"

"Not all the time. But I'd miss it if I couldn't change every now and then."

"Ah... could you..." Nodoka picked up her tea cup and nervously took a sip.

"Change?"

Nodoka nodded. Ranma chuckled as he concentrated briefly, channeling enough ki necessary to trigger the transformation. Nodoka gasped and dropped her tea cup. Ranma's hand shot out, catching the cup before it could fall and spill.

Ranma grinned. "For one thing, I'm much faster as a woman..."

"But what about your father's pledge?"

"Pledge? What pledge?"

Nodoka sighed as she unwrapped the bundle she was holding. From out of the folds of the silk she pulled a katana and placed it on the table in front of her. Then, reaching into the sleeves of her kimono, she pulled out a scroll and placed it on the table next to the sword. She pushed the scroll across the table to him.

Ranma carefully opened the scroll and read the contents. "I Genma Saotome, will raise my son to be a man amongst men, or we shall both commit seppuku." Ranma placed the scroll on the table and stared across at the woman. "This is some kind of joke, right, Mother? Nodoka?"

Nodoka had taken the sword out of the scabbard and was taking a few practice swings. "The burden of proof is on you, Ranma. Convince me."

Ranma felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of his neck. "Um... First, could you tell me what you consider manly?"

* * *

"Psst... Nabiki! What's going on in there?" Akane quietly opened the door to Nabiki's room and stepped in closing the door behind her. Nabiki held up her hand as she listened into the headphones, trying to catch the last couple of words. She shook her head. She knew she should have put another mike in the tea room...

"Seems like Ranma's mother is a nut job. She wants to make him commit seppuku."

"WHAT?"

"SHHH!"

Akane blushed before she asked in a quite voice, "why?"

"She needs to be convinced he's a man among men. Being polite and all doesn't seem to be enough to convince her."

"What else does she want to prove he's a man?"

Nabiki snorted. "A woman falling all over herself to leap into his pants, judging from her description."

"Oh, okay, then. You had me worried for a second."

Nabiki looked at Akane for a second, disbelief on her face. "You didn't." Akane smirked. "YOU DID!" The shout managed to make Akane wince from the volume.

"Easy there, Nabiki. My head still hurts."

"I want details."

"Why?"

"I mean, come on! Look at him. He's a hunk! If he's half as good in bed as he looks..." Nabiki trailed off as she got a dreamy expression on her face.

Kasumi opened the door, carrying tea and some snacks for her sisters. "You did what, Akane?"

Nabiki smirked. "She did Ranma."

Kasumi nearly dropped her tray. "NO!"

Akane blushed. Kasumi squealed. "DETAILS!"

"That's what I said!"

* * *

"Is that all you have to say for yourself, Ranma?"

"What else would you have me say? Considering what happened, I think I've done pretty well for myself, Mother." Ranma pointed at the sword she still held drawn. "I've gone most of my life without you. If you want to continue this... idiocy, I will simply continue to do so."

Nodoka looked across the table at her son. He was calm and composed, but keeping a wary eye on the sword she held. "But you turn into a woman! How can that be manly?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. I can understand more about woman than perhaps any man alive."

"But..."

"But nothing. Put that away. I refuse to honor this contract. It was made before I had any way of comprehending it, and the terms are ludicrous. I have yet to fulfill my goals, and I will not give my life to someone else's definition of my manhood."

Nodoka carefully sheathed the sword with a frown. She sat down and hesitantly reached over grabbed Ranma's hand, giving it a brief squeeze. "I'm sorry, Ranma. I just..." She gestured towards the scroll with the butt of the sword. "That's all I've had for ten years. No word of you or Genma, whether you were alive or dead or..." She trailed off, choking back the sobs that threatened to break free. She picked up the contract and ripped it in half. "Satisfied? I want to get to know my son."

* * *

The entire Tendo family joined Ranma and his mother at the table later to enjoy the treats Ranma had brought from Ryuzengawa. Akane, true to her word, was telling her sisters about the trip to the forest, carefully editing out certain nocturnal activities. They noted the omissions and smirked, causing her to blush. Ranma looked puzzled for a bit, then provided the details about what happened when they actually met the Orochi.

"You guys saw an actual Dragon?" Kasumi's eyes were wide. "And it had eight heads?"

"Yeap. It was pretty scary, actually. Herb was scary, too. I've never seen him show so much power at any one time."

"Why not?"

"Well, we've never actually fought all out, you know? We hold back quite a bit, only sparring, and keep out most powerful techniques out of the matches." This caught Akane's attention.

"You mean you guys are holding back when I watch you practice?"

"Of course." His tone made it sound more like, 'are you an idiot?'

Soun cleared his throat to interrupt the conversation at that point. He waited until everyone had turned to look at him before speaking. "Ranma?"

"Yes?"

"I know this may be a bit much in for one day, but I think it is time to tell you about the agreement Genma made with me."

"This had better not be some stupid seppuku pledge as well."

Soun smiled. "Actually, no. Quite the opposite. At birth, we promised to engage our children to each other in order to continue the Anything Goes School of martial arts." Nodoka nodded as she listened.

"Say again?" Had Soun known Ranma a little better, he would have been unsettled by the uncharacteristically quiet tones of his question. Akane caught the undertones, though. They were the same ones he had used when he prevented his friends from ending Happosai's life.

"As a matter of family honor, you have been engaged to one of my daughters from birth. You can choose which ever one you wish."

Surprisingly, Ranma was the only one who didn't explode.

* * *

Ranma was laying on the roof of the Tendo dojo, staring at the stars and trying to sort out the thoughts. He heard the sound of someone grabbing the edge of the roof, and turned to see Akane pull her self up over the edge of the roof with a flip.

"Can't make it in one jump yet?"

"No."

"Don't worry. You'll be able to soon." Akane nodded. Silence settled over the pair as she came and sat next to the boy. Neither said anything for a while. Ranma just continued to stare at the stars, while Akane simply watched the boy. She spoke first.

"Can you believe it? The two of us engaged?"

"You didn't have to volunteer yourself like that."

"Yeah I did. After what we did... I mean, I can't just let one of my sisters be your fiancée. Plus, it makes the most sense. Even if I'm nowhere near your level, I'm a martial artist, and so are you."

"I don't want a fiancée. Hell, I didn't even want a girlfriend."

"Oh, so you're just using me?"

"As I recall, you used me first. I didn't appreciate the complexity that has brought to our relationship."

Akane blushed. "heheh... right. Sorry. I don't regret it, though. Do you?"

Ranma sighed and sat up. "No, but..."

"But?"

"It doesn't make things any easier, you know? Before everything was pretty clear cut. I was your teacher, and you were my student. We were friends. We went to the same school. I was just getting used to the idea of that when this happens. How am I supposed to react now?"

"Not that much has changed, Ranma. I'm still your student. We are still friends. Right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Now we just get to enjoy the um..." Akane blushed. She took a deep breath before continuing, still blushing. "The, um... benefits that come from the more formal arrangement."

"Like?"

"Well, you know."

Ranma thought about it for a second before he blushed as well. "Ah." He looked at Akane out of the corner of his eyes as he asked his next question. "So, I take it you enjoy... those benefits as well?"

She nodded, blushing bright red.

"You know I'll be going back to China soon, right? What happens then?"

She shrugged. "Let's cross that bridge when we get there." The two continued to sit, lost in quiet contemplation.

* * *

"Congratulations, Ranma!"

"Shut up, Konatsu!"

"Why, are you not going to invite me to the wedding? How cruel!"

"That's it!" Konatsu took to the roofs, nimbly dodging the furious blows Ranma threw. Herb just watched from the ground, shaking his head in amusement at his friend's predicament.

"I'll see you two at school, then?" Konatsu waved acknowledgement as he dodged yet another blow from Ranma. Herb walked to school, ignoring the commotion behind him.

* * *

Taro watched as Ranma helped Akane run along the fence top, keeping her from falling with light touches to correct her balance. Taro lowered his binoculars and jumped off the roof to the alley below. Good. Tofu would be pleased to hear his ribs hadn't hurt at all. Taro had been watching very carefully for the last three weeks, devoting his entire day tracking his prey to established patterns and histories. The old goat Happosai had been useful for once, teaching him an excellent form of ki suppression that allowed him to watch, albeit from a distance, with relative impunity. With a good pair of binoculars and a little money for bribes, it was amazing how much you could learn.

First he had tracked down Herb with hopes of avenging his previous injuries, but a few days surveillance quickly proved that any assault on the prince would be futile. The guy had obviously been holding back in their match. Considering that Taro had been in his cursed form at the time, he wasn't going attempt retribution until he was sure of victory.

Konatsu had proven to be impossible to track, and from the few fights he had managed to observe, Taro knew he'd be no match for the boy. That the two had Jusenkyo curses had come as a surprise. Perhaps he could exploit the curses, but... Taro had heard rumors that the two were married. Their spouses didn't seem to be around, but he was looking for some way to exploit that as well, but most scenarios that he thought of were quickly discarded, because it would probably end with Taro in a great deal of pain.

Ranma might be the one to go after. He rarely saw the boy spar with the other two. Usually, he just sat by the side and looked bored, or perhaps meditative. At any rate, he might be the link Taro needed. Another possibility that Taro liked involved that Ranma guy's girlfriend. It made more sense to go after her, since she was by far the weakest link. Take out one leg of the stool, and... Taro grinned as he began to make some plans.

* * *

"Hello, Tendo Dojo. This is Kasumi speaking."

"Hey Kasumi, it's Ranma. Is Akane there? She vanished in the middle of school today. I was wondering if she was alright."

"Did you two fight?"

"No, she just... well, vanished."

"Oh my. Well, she isn't here. How strange..."

"Yeah, tell me about it. If she comes home anytime soon, and she isn't sick, tell her I'm not going to let her off easy, okay? She still has to train, even if she's in a foul mood."

"Okay Ranma. Oh, by the way, did you know that Grandfather Happosai came home from the hospital today?"

"Oh, that's good. How's he doing? I haven't seen him in a few weeks."

"He's doing fine. Still hobbling around because of the crutches, but he'll be fine shortly."

"Yeah? Good to hear. Anyway, thanks. Remember, if you see her..."

"Of course, Ranma. Talk to you later."

"Thanks again. Good bye."

* * *

"Tell me again why you're doing this?" Akane asked angrily, attempting yet again to wriggle her hands free from the bindings that held her fast to the chair. She had stepped out of building for lunch, only to be assaulted by some weird guy with pantyhose tied around his waist. The fight had been short but brutal – he'd knocked her out, but not before she managed to land a few good blows. She knew from experience he'd be pissing blood for a week after the shot she got in on his kidneys, so that made her feel a little better.

Just to make sure she couldn't wiggle free, her captor began to wrap duct tape around her wrists and fingers, immobilizing them and making the bindings even stronger. He moved to her feet, taping her ankles together, going through nearly half a roll of duct tape to make sure the bindings would hold.

"You, my dear, are the bait I need in order to kill your friends. Sorry. No hard feelings?" Taro smirked as he tore off another piece of tape and placed it over the last of her fingers. "Now, just sit tight. If you're good, I'll let you go once I've got what I want. I promise."

"You know you're no match for any of them, right? I mean, come on! Even I was able to hit you."

Taro smirked. "True, they may be more skilled, but I have something they don't."

"Like what? Cerebral palsy, or perhaps a death wish?"

"Cunning, and explosives." He pulled a little remote out of his pocket, holding it up and gave it a little shake. He quickly pocketed it again before turning and leaving the room.

He came back a few seconds later, dialing a number on a cellular phone. Taro walked over to the corner and squatted next to the captive girl. "Hello, is this Ranma? Someone wants to say hi."

* * *

From his hiding spot amongst the trees, Ranma carefully looked out over the promontory, surveying the temple and the surrounding grounds. Taro had chosen the ground to make a stand very carefully, because no matter what course he took, he'd be visible the whole way. The temple stood at the top of a high bluff, facing the sea. There was only one way up, and judging from the look of things, that way was heavily fortified. He began to plot his route to the top, trying to avoid the obvious traps.

Taro was an unknown. Herb briefly mentioned his encounter, but love of tofu didn't seem a strong enough motivation for the unprovoked attack. The information about his cursed form was handy, but he was 'only marginally skilled' according to Herb. His confidence meant that either he had something up his sleeve or he was just stupid. Probably the later, since he had chosen to abduct Akane. Ranma growled at the thought. Ranma was still uncomfortable about the whole engagement business, but he liked Akane. She was a friend, and a good student. Things had been going nicely recently – she was getting better, which meant he could step up her training even more. Plus, he really enjoyed the 'benefits,' as well.

Ranma started forward, but a tickling sensation in the back of his mind made him stop. He felt like he was being watched. He extended his senses as much as he could, but detected nothing wrong. He moved to step forward once again, but the sensation only doubled in intensity.

He frowned. It was almost like... like a warning. The feeling refused to go away. Ranma looked around once more, just to make sure he was truly alone. There was nothing for it. The feeling wouldn't leave, and he had to go get Akane, if only to stop Mr. Tendo's constant stream of tears. With a deep breath, he ducked low and sprinted to the first hiding spot he had chosen.

* * *

Taro smiled as he watched Ranma emerge from the tree line and dash for a boulder. He lowered the binoculars and reached into his pocket. Pulling out a small remote he smiled as he said, "Boom! Ahhh... It's beautiful..." and mashed the button.

* * *

As Ranma ran to the boulder, and the feeling became even stronger. It was almost palpable at this point, like a finger hovering over the back of his neck. Something was wrong; he didn't know why, but he could feel it. When he arrived at the boulder, he immediately cloaked himself in the Umi-sen-ken and jumped back towards the trees. He wasn't quick enough, though. He felt the blast more than he heard it, but the pain quickly blocked out anymore thought.

* * *

"Well, that was easy." Taro watched the crater smoke for a while, scanning for any signs of movement. After thirty minutes of scanning, he was satisfied. He turned back towards the temple, contemplating the next step of his plan.

* * *

Ranma gritted his teeth as he pulled another rock shard out of his bloodied body. He applied a good deal of ki to seal the wound and heal it. He moved to the next shard, pulling it out and repeating the process. His back and legs received the worst of the shrapnel damage. Unlike when he had trained in the bakusai tenketsu, he hadn't anticipated the blast, and his body had come out the worse for the exchange. He was still cloaked, but he was burning ki fast maintaining the cloak and healing the damage.

The feeling of being watched never left, which bothered Ranma even more. His hackles had never real settled, even with the blast. He snarled as he pulled out a particularly large chunk of rock. He held the golf ball sized rock in his hand, watching the healing process as he concentrated his ki on closing the wound. This was slow work, but... He was about to drop the rock and move to the next when epiphany struck. The feeling was gone. Ranma looked at his blood covered hands and smiled.

While he hadn't expected this, he almost felt sorry for Taro. Almost.

* * *

Taro was dialing another number when he was splashed by cold water. He roared and spun, turning to face the source of unexpected water, only to find a madly grinning Ranma. "I really should thank you, Taro."

Taro snorted, noting the blood that covered Ranma's clothing.

"Oh, I bet you know what you're thinking. You're thinking you have a chance, because I'm obviously injured." Ranma plucked at his ruined clothing, wiping his hands on his shirt. "Anyway, before we fight, where's Akane?"

Taro hitched his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the room he had come from.

"Cool. Be right back. Don't go anywhere, okay?" With that Ranma vanished, only to reappear instantly with the still bound Akane in his arms. He examined the bindings for a bit. Taro never saw the boy move, but suddenly Akane's bindings fell away, sliced cleanly into ribbons.

Ranma's proceeded to looked the girl over, checking for injuries, completely ignoring the fact that a giant minotaur stood only meters away. She, for her part was downplaying her injuries, intent instead upon the blood that covered Ranma's clothing.

Taro slid forward, intent on capitalizing on the distraction, lashing out with a blindingly fast punch, intending to flatten Ranma. Much to his shock, his punch was stopped cold by a single finger, placed between the first and second fingers of his knuckles.

Ranma wasn't even looking at Taro. With a quick smile at Akane, he turned to face Taro. He dropped the finger holding back the fist and bowed. "You've unwittingly helped me realize a lifelong dream today. Thank you. I am willing to forgive this action because I am in such a good mood. Provided you leave immediately." He extended a hand out towards Akane, not even bothering to watch Taro. "Ready to go, Akane?"

The girl nodded and started walking towards Ranma when Taro lashed out again. She distinctly heard Ranma sigh before Taro's roar of fury turned into bellows of agony.

* * *

The two were walking back from the temple hand in hand, Ranma holding Akane's left hand with his right. She pointed to the unconscious form of Taro he had tied up, slung over his left shoulder.

"So... Ranma?"

"Yes?"

"What DID you do to him?"

"That, Akane, was the real Neko-ken."

"How?"

"I really did mean it when I told him 'thank you.' He helped me realize the final piece of the puzzle so that I could finally master it."

"Oh? What was it?"

"Well, before I had no reason to master the Neko-Ken besides an abstract promise to a man long dead."

"Your dad?"

"Yeah. Before I got caught up in a blast he had rigged to try and kill me, I kept having this feeling of being watched. Took me a while to figure out what it was." He pointed to all the dried blood and holes in his clothing. "It was the feline elements, or the sixth sense ability of the Neko-ken warning me of danger I couldn't sense."

"The explosives?"

Ranma nodded. "I must have been subconsciously aware of them, either by smell or taste or... Who knows?" He shrugged. "Anyway, I barely managed to avoid the worst of the blast, and I was injured, covered in blood, worried about you, and wanting to tear Taro apart. I wasn't in the shape to fight Taro, but I wanted to. I needed a real reason to accept that half of myself, even if subconsciously. Training alone wasn't enough. It was part self preservation, part concern for others, and a little bit of blood lust."

"What's it like? I mean, when you attacked him, it seemed like you never even moved from where you had been standing."

"I did and I didn't move. I can't describe it. It's... Spectacular. Pure ki manipulation mixed with unbelievable motor control. My ki, my body, became manifestations of my will. It was like... I could do anything. And I could. I imagine Herb must feel like this at times, as well."

Akane was silent for a while. "Congratulations on mastery and all, but now what?"

"Well, I've got to find Happosai, eventually. Something about this whole setup reeks. But for now..." Ranma cast a sideways glance at the girl. Without ceremony he dropped Taro to the ground and swept Akane off her feet. He quickly headed over to a cluster of trees.

"What are you... Ah!! Ranma, stop it! Not here! NO... I.. ahh... Ohh... oh, Ranma..."

* * *

To his credit, Happosai didn't act surprised when Ranma dropped out of the air in front of him. He couldn't conceal his surprise, however, when Ranma threw a very tied up Taro to the ground next to him. Before he could react, Herb and Konatsu also appeared out of thin air, surrounding the old pervert.

"Yo, Happosai." Ranma waved, before nudging Taro's prone form with a toe. "The mailman dropped this off for me today, but I think it was supposed to be for you. Do you want to sign for it now, or should we come back later?" Ranma popped his knuckles. The sound was echoed from each flanking fighter.

Happosai whined.

"I just got off those bloody crutches, too!"

* * *

First, thanks for reading. Sorry it took a while to update, but life got in the way, as it sometimes can... :)  
Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed up to this point. I've had some wonderful comments, and I thank you all. I'd like to respond to a few now. I can not respond to all of them, I appologize in advance.

Max Krugman writes:  
"incidentally... Jerry Unipeg is... well, he reviews pretty much EVERYTHING. I think his standard reviews are "GREAT START," "I LOVE THIS CHAPTER," and one other I can't remember. So I wouldn't take those all that seriously, or at least I wouldn't go on those as a judge of popular opinion. "

That was my attempt at humor. I greatly appreciate taht Unipeg enjoys my stories, and I find his consistent reviews to be both encouraging and humorous, in a strange way. No crack on Jerry - you keep on doing what you do. I was simply trying to be ironic.

Myuu-Fox girl writes:  
"Woah, awsome fic. I'm ging to have to thank my bro for sending me the link to this. I love Ran/Aka, mostly because they're so good together (what's that saying about opposites attracting? Certainly fits with them) and because I believe that it's the pairing that Takahashi-san was aiming for all along, although I haven't seen much of the anime and have never read the manga."

As I believe Takahashi intended the pairing. However, this is not a Ranma/Akane fic, but rather a Ranma fic. Important distinction. I also enjoy a good R/A story, but I've given enough clues as to how this ends. I simply have to set up dramatic tension for the end to be effective. :)

C. Rose writes:  
"Pretty good, it's been a while since I've run across a Ranma story of this quality. Now if only you would get more descriptive with the sex scenes. smirk"

You are welcome (or anyone, for that matter) to write sex scenes and submit them to me for inclusion. There will be no guarentee i will include the material, and retain the right to edit for cohesivness. But I do welcome them - I just have no flair or ability to write a good scene, just like fight scenes. both are very hard to write well.

Fangorn writes:  
"About the R/A pairing, which is my prefered one, it seems to me they are right now more a pair of young people curious about sex then a proper couple (like Herb and Konatsu). Ranma's struggling to understand his feelings for her, or isn't even trying to right now. He didn't say he loved her, but didn't deny it, either, which is pretty much ambivalent, as you wrote (and liked it!). Akane haven't said the words, either. For a shier than normal, and probably curious after discovering Herb's and Konatsu's marriage, Akane, a powerless Ranma offered an interesting opportunity, largely because he couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to."

Astute. I am glad you got that impression, because that is what I am trying to write. It really does make me happy to see that the point came across. It is important for later development.  
  
"And I don't think Akane is much out of character. Her reactions so far are pretty much plausible to a Ranma that's tremendously different from the Ranma presented by the manga. Without the weight of a forced engagement and the stress caused by the rest of the usual Ranma 1/2's crew, I find pretty easy to her to have great respect and trust for this Ranma.  
Anyway, I do hope this story evolves to a R/A pairing, but frankly speaking, it would be quite unique if they don't. Keep writing true to your opinions and we'll keep reviewing. Keep up the good work!"

Thank you for the vote of confidence. I am trying to create a unique story here, and I feel that i will when I resolve the remaining issues. I also feel that none of the characters are extremely out of character - these actions seem to be logical conclusions to the changes i've introduced. I am not as fond of the Ranma fanfictions where people simply re-write what has been done already.

Karibanu writes:  
"Heh, "Akane" seems far more like Nabiki. Not a problem, she seems a fun girl so far, but hardly anything of Takahashi's Akane is in there, for which I'm grateful; there's hardly any aspects of her character I enjoy, after some repeated reading/analysis of the manga. I'd be disappointed if Ranma didn't do some further and broader exploration of the joys of the female half of the species though; just picking the first girl he's come across when he's mature enough to appreciate matters and then just settling seems ridiculous. Doesn't mean he can't end up with her, but it's all far too convenient so far."

Thank you for the honest assesment. reviews like this are VERY helpful. I'd like to introduce more elements like you point out, but I'm afraid i'm not creative enough to do so with out destroying the flow and integrity of the story. As it is, i feel like i am walking a very thin line.

"I disagree with your assessment of the manga R/A/S triangle, but this isn't the place for that."

Oh? :) later, then perhaps. you can always send an email.  
  
"I'm hoping you won't make a big deal out of some teenage pregnancy thing, considering where these characters actually are...  
Anyway, not a lot really happened, but the Orochi was fun. I'm not really sure where this little arc is going, though; moxibution came & went without much more than meeting Herb's relatives. They're still in Ryuugenzawa, so there's still room for real plot."

I'm sorry if there wasn't enough plot development. that was more a chance for me to work in some classical japanese education. Culture, people. Culture. :)

WarpWizard writes:  
"The reason I usually find Akane boring is that due to that ambivalence, things never progress. They just go back and forth, back and forth. That's how Takahashi managed to go 38 volumes without resolving anything, along with other convenient reset buttons. Also, characters that ruled by their emotions are boring. To me anyway. The final caveat is, of course, with good writing anything can be made readable."

Yes, Takahashi does waffle, but in the manga she makes a clear choice between the tree girls.(Can you blame her? This series made her a fortune, and if she ended it after 10 volumes it wouldn't be nearly as popular. sorry, cynical me.) In her own words, she wrote the comic in the following fashion. "one marital arts skit, one humorous skit, followed by one romantic skit furthering the relationship between Ranma and Akane."  
And characters ruled by emotions can be boring, granted. But when they learn to start thinking, the interaction between the two forces are great.


	17. Right Mindfulness, part 4

Shinran had just finished off the last of his lunch and was enjoying a warm cup of tea when the postman stopped by the temple. Shinran met the postman at the foyer, and after exchanging greetings, he was handed an oblong package and asked to sign the release forms. Shinran quickly scrawled his signature at the bottom of the signature pad, studying the return address as he did so. Addressed to Herb, the return address was simply, 'King of the Musk, China."

* * *

"You never did spill the beans, Akane. Come on, we're your sisters. You can tell us!"

"She's right, Akane. You wouldn't want to hold out on your oldest sister, would you?"

Akane looked back and forth between Kasumi and Nabiki in utter disbelief. She had just returned to her room not ten minutes after being rescued from Taro when the pair descended up her like vultures.

"Why do you want to hear about that? Really! It's not like I just got kidnapped or anything. You sure you don't want to ask me questions like, 'were you scared,' or 'what were you thinking about.' Honestly." Akane sighed as she began rummaging through her bureau for some clean clothes.

"We know, but..."

Nabiki jumped in. "It wasn't like you were ever in any sort of danger, right? With Ranma there to rescue you and all..."

Akane sighed again. "Can I at least take a bath and change first?"

Her sisters turned around and put their heads together, quietly conferring for a moment before turning back. Kasumi watched for Nabiki's nod before speaking. "We've agreed you can have fifteen minutes to bathe and change. After that, you talk. Or we tickle."

Akane narrowed her eyes at the threat, but the two seemed serious. "I don't like empty threats. Besides, I don't kiss and tell. Sorry."

"Okay, then no kissing. Just telling." Nabiki smirked. Her smirk quickly faded into a frown as she added, "Please?"

"Humor your older sisters. It's not fair you're the youngest and you got such a hot fiancée." Kasumi crossed her arms across her chest, attempting to look stern, but failing.

"Well, how was I supposed to know we'd end up engaged?" Akane quickly gathered a change of clothes and shouldered he way past her sisters. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to go bathe." On her way down, she realized she should have gotten a long sleeve t-shirt for after the bath. Her tank-top wasn't going to cover the marks Ranma had left at all.

* * *

Happosai closed his eyes, waiting for the blows to fall. When they didn't come, he slowly opened one eye to see Ranma sitting on the ground in front of him. Ranma pointed to the still unconscious form of Taro.

"Want to tell me what this was about, Happosai?"

"No."

Herb and Konatsu shift positions behind the old geezer, edging slightly closer. "Tell us, or I'll take off the leg next time, not just break it." Herb's whisper carried far enough for Ranma to hear.

"Herb!" Herb backed off at Ranma's exclamation. "I want to know why Taro attacked us, not beat up on an injured old man. You want to tell us?" Ranma held Happosai's gaze until the diminutive master shrugged.

"Why do you think? After what you did to me? He wanted a new name, I told him he'd get one if he took care of those two. I guess he thought you were a bonus."

Ranma cocked his head. He noted that Konatsu and Herb had both shifted at Happosai's statement. "What do you mean, what we did to you? They gave you a few broken bones – seems fair, considering they wanted to kill you."

Happosai scoffed. "Good ploy. Play innocent."

"I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Why don't you ask your friends then, boy?"

Ranma pointed at Happosai. "Don't move. You won't be able to escape even if you tried." Happosai nodded glumly, and lowered himself to the ground, muttering about stiff joints and aching bones. Ranma watched Happosai out of the corner of his eye as he pulled his friends to the side. Neither answered Ranma's question directly at first, but his suspicions proved to be true.

"You guys did the moxibustion on him?" Ranma stared until he received confirmation. "Well, no wonder he's pissed. I know I was. That also explains why his injuries have taken so long to heal... With every woman able to beat him off, he can't steal any ki to regenerate."

"I still think it was the right thing to do." Konatsu said emphatically. Herb nodded, agreeing with Konatsu's statement.

"Yeah, well, now he's out for blood, even if he can't do it himself." Ranma watched as Happosai pulled out his pipe and began to smoke, rubbing the top of his head as he rested on the ground. Happosai attempted to pull up some blades of grass, but the moxibustion prevented even that.

Ranma tapped his chin with a finger as he watched. "You know what?"

"I don't like that look, Ranma." Konatsu frowned at Ranma.

"What look?"

"That one – the same one that always ends up getting us in trouble."

"Konatsu, I'm hurt. When have I ever gotten us in trouble?" Ranma jumped in before anyone could answer. "And don't answer that. Anyway, you want to hear my idea or not?"

Konatsu was displeased, and Herb not much more enthusiastic with Ranma's plan.

* * *

Akane was still scrubbing her back when the door to the bath opened. She whipped around to see her sisters standing in the entrance, both naked and ready to join her. Nabiki walked in and sat down on a low stool to her left, and began to fill a pail with cold water. Kasumi sat down on her other side and also filled a bucket with water. Nabiki smirked as she touched one of the love bites on her shoulder.

"I think you missed a spot, Akane. Need help scrubbing?"

Akane glared. "No." Her answer set both of her sisters to giggling. She ignored the pair as best she could until she finished rinsing off and sliding into the hot bath. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of Nabiki and Kasumi scrubbing down, still whispering about and occasionally laughing at the various marks that adorned her body. Eventually, they stopped laughing and rinsed, the sounds of splashing water heralding the end of the cleansing process. The two joined her a few minutes later, making the water level rise until it was close to the top of the tub.

Akane cracked open one eye to see both her sisters staring at her intently from across the tub. She closed her eyes and attempted to relax, but soon felt the water shift again as her sisters crossed the tub to sit on either side of her. No one said anything, but after a while the silence only magnified their presence. With a groan, Akane opened her eyes and crossed the tub to sit opposite her sisters. Nabiki and Kasumi continued to stare. Akane rolled her eyes at the expectant looks on their faces.

Nabiki simply asked, "Well?"

"Well what?" Akane replied.

"Well, how about; who started it? How did it happen? How long has it been going on? You know - easy questions for starters."

"Oh, you two are so immature."

To Akane's surprise, they giggled, but it was Kasumi who spoke up. "But Akane, look at it from our point of view. Our little sister is engaged and sleeping with a hunk of a man."

Nabiki interjected with an enthusiastic "Yeah!"

Kasumi continued, as if uninterrupted. "Of course we are going to be curious, considering neither one of us has a boyfriend. It isn't like your sister or I have a lot of opportunity to meet men, as I'm always at home and most men are probably too intimidated by Nabiki to even try."

Akane snorted with laughter at Nabiki's indignant cries. Kasumi had a point, though. Slowly at first, but with increasing animation, Akane began to answer their questions, but kept the personal details private. When the story wound down, the two simply 'oohed' and looked at her in a new light.

"Well, Kasumi, looks like Akane's all grown up." Nabiki faked a sniffle and rubbed an imaginary tear from her eye, causing both Kasumi and Akane to shake their heads ruefully. "Do you think it was the right thing to do, Akane?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I certainly don't regret it. I mean, Ranma's something else..." she trailed off, looking at her hands as she thought about the boy.

Kasumi giggled. "I wish you could see the look you have on your face when you say that, Akane."

Nabiki chimed in. "How touching. My little sister's gaga for some wandering martial artist."

"HEY! I'm not gaga!"

"Could have fooled me."

"You love him, don't you?" Kasumi became serious when she asked the question.

The question brought Akane up short. Conversation died after that. Akane didn't feel like answering anymore questions. She pointed out they had been in the bath too long, anyway, and were going to dry up like raisins.

* * *

"SON OF A BITCH!!!" Happosai lashed out as Ranma finished the application of the moxibustion point. The kick caught Ranma squarely in the chest, launching him into Herb and Konatsu, knocking all three to the ground.

Ranma smirked as he stood. "Seems like it worked. Remember our agreement, Happosai. One week, then I will challenge you for mastery of Anything goes. If I win, I get certification, you change Taro's name, and no more assassins, alright?"

"Are you going to let me 'recharge'?"

Ranma nodded and shifted into his female form. "You only get five seconds, though. As per our agreement."

"Sure, whatever..." Happosai launched himself at the now female Ranma, fondling her chest and copping a cheap feel. Ranma shivered at the old perverts actions, but true to his word, the letch stopped after five seconds. Happosai breathed deeply as he flexed his muscles. . The ki he had absorbed allowed him to repair his remaining injuries. It felt... good to be whole again.

"If I win, you agree to be my slave for one year." He watched Ranma nod. "You're an idiot, you know that? But I like you anyway. See you in a week, boy!" With that, Happosai took to the roofs, intent on 'rescuing' some silky darlings.

Herb walked over till he stood behind Ranma, watching the little pervert bound away. "I hope you know what you're doing, Ranma."

"Yeah, me too. Are you guys ready to train?"

* * *

Herb frowned as he opened the package Shinran had received in the mail. Inside, he pulled out a silk scroll and examined the bindings, checking for authenticity marks known only to him. Satisfied, he opened the scroll and read. When he finished, Herb wordlessly passed it to Konatsu. When Konatsu finished reading it, she wrapped Herb in a hug from behind. "When do you want to leave?"

"After the challenge."

"Do you want to let Ranma know?"

Herb shook his head. "He needs to concentrate. We can tell him afterwards." Herb turned in Konatsu's embrace, hugging her back. They held each other for a while until Herb broke the silence. "Konatsu, I'm scared."

"Me too."

* * *

"Hello, Tendo residence." Kasumi paused as she listened to the other party. "Oh, Ranma! Good to hear from you. Akane? Why yes, just hang on a second, please." Kasumi held the receiver to her chest as she called to her sister. "Akane, Ranma's on the phone."

Akane put down her tea and walked into the hall to take the phone from her sister. With a smile, she thanked Kasumi and took the receiver from her hand.

"Hi Ranma!" She paused to listen. "This week? For the whole week? What about school?" Akane paused again as she listened. Kasumi looked at Akane with a puzzled expression, causing Akane to shrug her shoulders. "Let me ask my dad, okay? It shouldn't be too much of a problem, but you never know..." She paused again. "Okay. Can I call you back in a few minutes? Okay! Bye!"

Akane hung up the phone. "He wants to come along on a training trip for a whole week."

"That's wonderful, Akane! Just think about how much time you can spend alone with him."

Akane blushed. "Yeah, but I get the feeling he's serious about something. You'll be surprised, Kasumi. Sometimes I think he would forget about that completely if I didn't have to 'remind' him every now and then."

"Well, you'll just have to keep it on his mind, won't you?" Kasumi's grin mirrored Akane's. "Let's go talk to father, shall we, Akane?"

* * *

This was hardly what Akane had in mind when she agreed to go on a training trip. They had arrived and set up their tents when Ranma announced the first exercise. She had anticipated some kata's, or maybe some light sparring to warm up. Ranma had a different idea. Basically, it consisted of all out assaults against the pig-tailed martial artist, no holds barred.

Ranma panted as he raised a leg to block a front snap kick from Herb, at the same time bending nearly double to avoid Kontasu's thrown shuriken and Akane's roundhouse. Going three against one wasn't nearly as much fun as he had anticipated, but it was exactly what he needed. Herb and Konatsu had stepped up their usual level of sparring they usually reserved only for Happosai.

Without using the Neko-ken, he couldn't win at this rate, but it was great practice for the coming challenge. Ranma grabbed the throw shuriken from mid air, tossing it back at the ninja, forcing him to change direction. He allowed the momentum absorbed from blocking Herb's kick to throw him free of the melee, buying time to snap off three quick Ki blasts at his assailants. Herb and Konatsu dodged with ease.

Akane wasn't fast enough to get around the blow, and had to absorb it with her guard. With a grimace, Akane shook out her left arm and charged back into the fray. Those dame things hurt! That was probably one of the smaller blasts Ranma threw, and yet her arms felt like she had just absorbed a full-powered round house.

The three charged Ranma again. Akane hated the fact that Ranma, Herb, and Konatsu were so much better than her, but she understood Ranma's reasoning behind her participation. Since it was likely that Ranma's battle with Happosai would take place under blindingly fast conditions, anything that might throw off his timing or broaden his perception of the fight was vital. Akane, while fast, was a like a snail racing a jet plane when compared to Happosai. Her attacks threw off the normal rhythm of dodging and blocking Ranma had established with Konatsu and Herb, forcing him to concentrate more on the fight, paying attention to things he might otherwise ignore.

Akane threw another punch at Ranma, only to have him disappear from view. Konatsu and Herb quickly vanished as well, as they began to move faster than her eye could track. Sonic booms quickly echoed throughout the clearing as Konatsu and Herb sped up, attacking at full speed. Akane stepped back and out of the way, trying to gauge what was happening.

She had learned enough from all the training together to pick out their individual auras. Herb's aura had just surged, as had Ranma's. Konatsu's on the other hand, was non-existent. Part of what made the ninja so deadly was just that – he could vanish almost at will, becoming invisible on the battle field, landing blows from seemingly no where. One of them must of struck, because Ranma came crashing through the trees, to impact heavily on the ground, creating a small crater.

Akane wasted no time. She tried to land a vicious axe-kick on the downed boy, only to have her ankle caught at the last moment and her feet swept from under her. While still in falling, Ranma some how got behind her to strike her with an open palm in the middle of her back, knocking the wind from her lungs. Before she could gain her bearings, Ranma vanished again, and the sounds of high speed impacts once again echoed through the clearing.

Akane got up, patiently waiting for another opportunity to attack. The next time Ranma came crashing through the trees, though, he was already out cold before he hit the ground. Herb and Konatsu appeared, both looking severely battered but happy. Akane returned with a bucket of cold water, pouring it on the hapless Ranma. The water triggered his change, as well as waking her up. With a groan, Ranma opened her eyes.

"I swear, when I can see straight, I'm going to get all six of you, Herb."

"I take it the day's training is over then, Ranma?"

"Nope. I've only got six more days, and I'm going to use every minute of it possible. Do you mind if I just nap here for a bit first, though?"

* * *

It was colder in the mountains at night than Akane was used to, so she threw another log on the fire. The warmth was welcome as she contemplated what Ranma had told her about the upcoming challenge with Happosai. Herb and Konatsu had disappeared some time ago into the surrounding forest, devising strategies for tomorrows 'training' sessions with Ranma. Across the fire, Ranma was busy finishing off the remains of his meal, methodically picking out the last grains of rice from his bowl.

She watched as Ranma put down his bowl with a sigh, chop sticks hanging rudely from his mouth. He leaned back with his eyes closed and his face towards the sky. He patted his stomach, indicating that he was satisfied. She studied the lines of his face as he did this, fascinated with the way that the moonlight filtered through the trees, pooling softly on one side of his face.

"Ranma?"

"Mmm?" He opened his eyes, and pulled the dangling chop sticks from his mouth onto the rim of the bowl before him.

"Nothing..."

* * *

Akane snuggled closer to Ranma as he shifted in his sleep, draping an arm around her waist as they spooned in the sleeping bags they shared. Facing away from him, she was resting on his bicep, gently tracing the various scars that adorned the portion of his arm that was exposed. This was the first time they had actually 'slept' together – the first time they would wake up in the same bed the next morning. Akane was wide awake, seized with an irrational fear. She was terrified because having tasted this once, she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to do with out it.

Ranma's hand snaked around her waist to rest just below her navel, his pinky and ring finger tucked just below the elastic of her underwear. He pulled her close as she tensed, tickling the back of her neck with his breath. She sighed, and began relaxing as the even sounds of his breathing eventually lured her into a fitful sleep. As she was falling asleep, she realized that, just maybe, her sister had been right about Ranma.

* * *

Two days into the training, Ranma pulled out his secret weapon. He brought out the Neko-ken for the first time in his matches against the Herb, Konatsu, and Akane. Akane never stood a chance, and bowed out quickly. Kontasu held up well at first, but was soon realized that his primary advantages, stealth and speed, were nullified by the extra sensory perception of Ranma's technique, forcing him to utilize more ki based attacks than he normally incorporated. Herb did better, able to unleash his full power against his adversary. The resulting 'sparring match' leveled a nearby mountain. Ranma deemed he had the power necessary to take down Happosai. Now, they just needed to work on cunning.

Akane lightly kissed Ranma's shoulder as her hands wandered up and down the muscles of his back, basking in the afterglow of their latest 'training.' Ranma collapsed on top of her, supporting most of his weight with his elbows as he reached up to brush her hair out of her face. She turned her head to kiss his palm.

"Akane?"

"Mnn?" She turned her head to look at Ranma, receiving a kiss in for her efforts.

"We should probably stop this until I beat Happosai. I don't want to lose my edge." Ranma kissed her again before disengaging himself, sliding beside her to wrap her in a hug. "You understand?"

Akane nodded. She turned till she faced away from him, pulling his arm over her ribs and to her chest, so she could be held from behind. She laced her fingers through his, pulling his hand to her mouth so she could kiss his knuckles. Akane reveled in the feeling of his body against hers, enjoying the warmth and the contact, conscious of the fear once again.

* * *

Ranma didn't even unpack from the trip before he sought out Shinran. Dirty and smelly, Ranma joined the monk in his meditations until Shinran was finished, and ready for conversation.

"I trust you had an excellent journey, Ranma?"

"I did. That is what I wanted to talk to you about, if I may."

"What do you wish to tell me?"

Ranma paused, looking down at his hands. He carefully composed his thoughts, thinking over what he wanted to say and how. There was no delicate way of putting it, though. "It's about my relationship with Akane, really."

"Ahh. Go on."

"It's just that..." Ranma stopped, and blushed. Finally, he blurted out, "How did you do it?"

Shinran chuckled. "Do what?"

"Get past the desire? Past sex? Past wanting to feel that close to someone?" He sighed. "Every time I look at Akane, I just get so... unbalanced. I lose focus. I've never been this out of control, or this influenced by anything before..."

"You get horny, you mean."

"Yeah, that too." Ranma smiled sheepishly.

"Well, she is a very good looking young woman, Ranma. I'd be truly worried, or conversely, very happy for you if you were able to see beyond that right now."

"So, how did you get past that desire, Shinran?"

"What makes you think I have?"

"Well, you're here. You're a monk. You must of, at some point."

"Ranma, I joined a monastery precisely because I had such difficulty getting over those urges. Everyone does. It is easier in a controlled environment, such as a temple. And after my wife died... I lost interest for a while, and it became easier to channel my energies into something constructive, like meditation."

"Great. So basically, I'm going to be stuck like this forever?"

"That depends entirely on you."

Ranma snorted. "Maybe I should just cut 'em off."

Shinran laughed. "According to the Buddha, there was once someone who, plagued by ceaseless sexual desire, wished to castrate himself. The Buddha said to him, 'To cut off your sexual organs would not be as good as to 'cut off' your mind."

"Meditation hasn't helped much, though." Ranma sighed wistfully. "I have a hard time focusing. I keep seeing her."

"Your mind," Shinran began, "is like a supervisor: if the supervisor stops, his employees will also quit. If the deviant mind is not stopped, what good does it do to cut off the organs?

"If you truly desire to conquer this, and your ultimate goal is the mind of no mind, then you must do it here." Shinran tapped a finger against Ranma's head. "To do otherwise is fruitless." He dropped his hand. "I admire your efforts. Keep in mind why you wish to do this, Ranma."

"Mastery."

"A truly noble goal. With practice, you can achieve it."

* * *

Herb, Konatsu, Akane, Dr. Tofu and Soun all stood on the grounds of Furinkan early on a Sunday morning, watching as the Happosai and Ranma faced each other prior to the match. Taro was also there, standing away from the other group, watching Happosai intently. Soun produced a scroll, and began to read the conditions.

"Saotome Ranma hereby challenges Happosai, founder and Grand Master of the Anything Goes style of Martial Arts for mastery. In addition to this, if he is victorious in today's challenge, he requests that Happosai change the name of Pantyhose Taro to one of the aforementioned person's choosing. Do you accept these terms and conditions, Master Happosai?"

Taro shouted, "DON"T CALL ME THAT!"

Happosai yelled at Taro, "Shaddup!" before agreeing to the terms. Happosai began to stretch, twisting at the hips like a baseball player to taunt Ranma. "Now, read my conditions!"

Soun nodded, and produced a second scroll. "Happosai, as founder and Grand Master of the Anything Goes style sets a condition on the challenge. Should the challenger, Saotome Ranma, lose, he/she will be honor bound to serve as his willing disciple for the period of not less than one year, in which any act of disobedience is punishable in any manner the Master sees fit."

Soun's face lost its color as the blood drained from his face. He walked over to Ranma and quietly whispered. "Do you know what he'll do to you?"

"I am aware."

"This is silly, Ranma. You don't have to go through with this! Mastery is not worth being his slave!"

"Just call the match."

Soun lowered the scroll, looking at Ranma with abject horror clear upon his face. "Saotome Ranma, do you accept this condition?"

"I do, Mr. Tendo."

Soun walked back to his previous spot, shaking his head the whole time. Soun carefully rolled both scrolls and handed them to Tofu, there as a second judge and for emergency medical treatment.

"Victory will be judged by incapacitation, either by knock out, injury, or death, and capitulation. There is no time limit. Is the challenger ready?"

Ranma nodded, carefully keeping his eye on the diminutive form of Happosai, still engaged in his mock stretches.

"Are you ready, Master Happosai?"

"You bet your hinny, Soun!"

Soun raised on hand in the air as the two fighters faced each other from a distance of two paces. Soun dropped his hand and the fight commenced.

* * *

For a long time the group watched as both combatants stood still, merely staring at each other. Ranma smiled and moved first. Herb, Konatsu, and Soun all shook their heads in disappointment, as Tofu adjusted his glasses with a sigh.

Tofu's statement mirrored everyone's mood. "I was hoping Ranma would win this, but..."

* * *

Ranma stood facing Happosai, watching for any sign of movement. In the back of his head, he could feel the familiar feeling of the cat lashing its tail, ready for battle and itching for control. 'Not yet,' Ranma urged. The sensation died, but Ranma was ready. With a smile, he launched himself at Happosai. This was going to hurt.

Happosai would have rolled his eyes if he could have afforded the time necessary to do so when Ranma moved first. With a muttered oath of "amateur," Happosai proceeded to counter Ranma's first offensive initiative.

Ranma was right. That first opening sequence move had hurt, as had the second, third, and fourth... The cat was furious, actively trying to wrest control from Ranma. We can beat him, if you just let me out, it seemed to say. Again, Ranma only urged patience. He was fighting Happosai by conventional means. He was getting beat up for it, but then again, so was Happosai. More importantly, Happosai thought he had Ranma's full measure.

Happosai took moment to spit a loose tooth into his hand as Ranma picked himself off the ground some twenty feet away. He pocketed the tooth for later – it could still be saved. The boy had gotten very good, but he wouldn't win. A lecherous grin split his face as Happosai began fantasizing about the first thing he'd have Ranma do as his 'willing' disciple. It involved that delicious female body he possessed and taking something a woman could only give once.

Ranma's ears were ringing from the latest exchange as he picked himself off the ground. He moved more slowly than he felt necessary, watching for any changes in Happosai's demeanor. Happosai began grinning. He wanted to smile, but his jaw hurt too much. In his head, the cat was purring. It was play time.

From the sidelines, Herb and Konatsu watched Happosai administer the beating with distress. They were aware of Ranma's plan, but it didn't make it any easier to watch. Even though Ranma was giving Happosai a thrashing as well, it became increasingly clear that the Ranma was coming out worse for each exchange. The longer this battle went on, the more certain it was for Happosai to win. Konatsu winced as the old Master landed a particularly nasty blow that sent Ranma to the ground, yards away from the Happosai. Ranma managed to clip the old man on the way out, knocking out a tooth of Happosai's. As the old man pocket the tooth, he began grinning as he approached the still reeling Ranma.

Happosai walked over to Ranma, ready to administer the finishing blow. "Any last words as a free man, Ranma?" Happosai fished his pipe out of his pocket, ready to knock the boy into oblivion.

Ranma was on his knees, clutching his head as he struggled to stand. "Yeah."

"Do tell."

Ranma's only response was an ear splitting roar. Happosai didn't have a chance.

* * *

The roar shook the battle ground, making the earth vibrate and causing the spectators to cover their ears. Akane watched in fascination as Ranma slipped into the Neko-ken and out of sight. The first blow launched Happosai into the air, where it appeared to hover, kept aloft by Ranma as he rained blows in from all directions, preventing his opponent from falling to the ground. The attacks were too fast to see, and a loud rumble echoed through the area as every movement Ranma made exceeded the sound barrier or the ability of the human eye to perceive it. After a minute, it was over.

Happosai fell to the ground, unconscious well before impact. Ranma stood panting, holding the last stance of the final kata for the Neko-ken learned so long ago.

"Soun!" Tofu nudged the Tendo Patriarch in the ribs.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Call the match, please!"

Soun nodded. He walked over to the fallen form of Happosai. After a cursory examination, he declared the winner to be Ranma, by virtue of knock out. Ranma nodded once before collapsing as well.

* * *

When he awoke, Ranma immediately regretted doing so. The pain was tolerable. The sight of a voraciously bawling Soun, however, was not.

"RANMA!!! YOU BEAT THE MASTER!!!!! WAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Soun's tears were soaking the Ranma, turning him into a female. The other occupant of the room, Akane, was also getting thoroughly drenched. She was desperately trying to clam her father, to no avail. Finally, in exasperation, she used a trick that Konatsu had shown her once. With her pointer finger, she jabbed a pressure point at the base of her father's neck, causing him to slump over asleep.

"What do you know, that works!"

Ranma managed to croak, "Good job, Akane."

"How are you feeling?"

"Terrible."

"You look it."

Ranma stuck his tongue out at the girl. She responded in kind, before leaning over and kissing him once. "You were amazing."

"What do you expect from the great Saotome Ranma?"

Akane wrinkled her nose. "A bath, perhaps?"

"I'll need help scrubbing..."

Akane's grin would have made Happosai proud.

* * *

Herb and Konatsu waited at the temple for Ranma to return from the Tendo's. While they waited, they prepared their belongings and wrote letters. Ranma returned later that afternoon, limping but in good spirits. He saw their preparations and his mood became somber quickly. Konatsu tossed him the scroll that had arrived a week before. Ranma read it twice, just to make sure of the contents.

"How long have you known?"

Herb replied. "One week."

"And you waited till now?"

"This challenge was important to you."

Ranma clenched the scroll in his fist, shaking it violently. "And this isn't?" He looked around the room. "When are you leaving?"

Konatsu and Herb answered as one. "Tonight."

"Good. I'm coming with you. Just let me write some letters."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Reviews, questions and comments welcome. I am sorry it has been a while since the last installment, but life, as it is wont to do, has gotten in the way. That, and I suffered from a bit of a block - I am not statisfied with this chapter, but I think it will be suffiecient in order to introduce the next elements of the story.  
  
I apologize for not working Ryoga into the story at this point - i can rationalize it by saying, "he's still lost." i do plan on re-introducing him, because he will play an role in resolving the issues that will be present with the present state of affairs between Ranma and Akane.  
  
I also regret that I'm incable (or simply not imaginative enough) of writing a better, or more in depth anaylsis of Herb, and Konatsu. I particularly like their relationship, and i think it has a lot of complexity that i've only hinted at, but haven't really taken the time to explore. If i ever go back and re-write this peice (ha!), then I will endevour to do so.  
  
Now, to reply to some comments (most of which were simply supportive - thanks to all the readers):  
  
Preventer Squall writes:  
  
"my quandry revolves around how Ryoga will react to this new development? He is still after Akane's heart, afterall, and there's no dought that he won't take her marriage arrangement laying down. I personally hope he won't be as blindly ignorant as he was in the manga, always accusing Ranma to be the bane of his existence, while it's his own shortsightedness that leads to his own downfalls. I can see him continuing to be an exceptionally useful sparring partner for Akane, if he serves no other purpose in your story.  
Maybe you will also entail the details of the viscious punishment Konatsu administered to Happosai, as well as afew more of those dashes of lemony goodness you do so well. Heh."

As for ryoga, i have a clear idea of how I'm going to introduce (or should I say, re-introduce) him to the story, and in what capacity he's going to serve. I simply didn't have enough time to introduce him this chapter. I think i detailed the punishment KOnatsu administered in this installment - if there is confusion, i need to know in order to clarifys for the snatches of lemony goodness, this chapter has a little more zest than the previous ones. I hope you like it. I may end up writing a lemon scene before this story is over...


	18. Knowledge

"Who is it?"

"Ranma! I'm sorry it's so late, but this is important!"

"Just a minute, please!" Shinran scrambled around in the dark, looking for a robe to throw on. When he was finally dressed, Shinran turned on a small lamp to illuminate the room. He walked to the doors and slid them back. Ranma was standing before him, flanked on either side by Konatsu and Herb. All three were bundled for travel.

"What is it, my boy?"

Ranma held out a small wooden box with a letter attached to the top. He presented it with both hands, and bowed as he offered it forth. "For you kindness, Shinran. I shall not forget it or your teachings."

The monk took the offering and gently placed on the ground to one side. "Has the time come, then?"

All three nodded.

"I wish it wasn't so soon, but..." Shinran sighed. "Go in peace, then. If you would please just wait a moment?" He waited for their acknowledgement before turning and walking to a small closet in his room. He rooted around on the shelves for a moment before returning, three scrolls in his hand. The first he offered to Herb.

"For you, Herb. It isn't much, but..." Shinran held forth the scroll in his hands, palms up and fingers out. Herbs extended his hands and gently took the silk, bowing as he did.

"You may find this very useful later, Konatsu." Shinran turned to Konatsu, and offered a scroll as well. Again a silent exchange took place, with the two participants bowing to each other. Finally, to Shinran presented the final scroll to Ranma.

"May you find what you seek, young one."

Ranma bowed, holding the position a little longer than necessary. When he rose, Shinran caught his eye for a split second before turning away. Nothing else was said, and four bowed to each other once again. Afterwards, Ranma, Herb, and Konatsu simply straightened and walked away.

* * *

"Give me just a second, okay?" Ranma shrugged off his back pack and handed it to Herb. Konatsu gave Ranma a quick hug. Herb simply nodded, trying to hide the frown on his face. With that, Ranma jumped over the wall of the compound.

"Akane... Wake up." Ranma gently shook her sleeping form.

"huh..?"

"Shhhh... It's me, Ranma."

"Ran...ma?"

"I have to go."

"Hmmm...." Akane rolled back over in bed, still asleep, before what he said registered. Her eyes flew open. Before she could say anything, his hand covered her mouth. He drew very close, looking into her eyes as he spoke softly.

"Akane, I have to go back to China. Tonight."

She began to struggle, wanting to ask questions.

"Shh... be calm. I'm sorry, I have to go. I have no time." He held up a box and a scroll for her to see. "This will explain it. I can't stay." He gently removed his hand, and replaced it with his lips. Akane was uncertain for how long the kiss lasted, but it was over too soon.

"Ranma..." Her next words were interrupted by another kiss.

"Sleep, Akane." He poked a pressure point on her sternum, draining her body of energy. She struggled, but began succumbing to the effects quickly.

"But... I.. lov...e...y..."

"Shhh... I know. Sleep."

Ranma deposited the box and letter on her desk, and waited until she was fully asleep to leave.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Konatsu offered Ranma a handkerchief. Ranma accepted the tissue with a nod, and discreetly dabbed his eyes.

* * *

The flight to China was tense. Ranma read Herb's letter one more time just for something to do, having long ago memorized the contents. Nobody much felt like talking. Besides, once the plane landed, they would have plenty of time for discussion. After a while he got bored and fished around in his pack for the present that Shinran had given him. He opened the scroll and began to read. It helped take his mind off his troubles for a bit.

* * *

"Hello, is anybody there?" Ryoga knocked on the door, hesitantly stepping inside as he called out his greeting. He hadn't been away this long in a while, but somehow he had ended up in this weird place in China... He didn't want to think about that too much, though. He felt an immense sense of relief when Kasumi came to the front door.

"Oh, Ryoga! How nice of you to stop by! Please, come on in!" Kasumi attempted to help him with his pack, but was forced to abandon her efforts when it became obvious she couldn't lift it. She apologized profusely, which set Ryoga off to apologizing for it being so heavy. She led him to the living room, where the family was gathered eating some snacks.

"Akane, look who's here!" Kasumi led Ryoga to the table before running into the kitchen to get more tea. Akane looked up at Ryoga, and even though she smiled, it was obvious, even to him, that something was wrong. He looked around, only to notice that everyone was upset. Mr. Tendo was silently staring at the wall, not seeing anything, unaware of Ryoga's presence. Nabiki looked like she had just bitten into a sour plum. Akane looked ill. Ranma was...

"Hey, where's Ranma?"

Akane's quiet tears were heartbreaking; Soun's wailing, on the other hand, was just disturbing.

* * *

"Why would Ranma do this to you?" Ryoga clenched his fist, trying to maintain his calm. Akane didn't need him to be mad – she needed him to be strong for her. In response she pushed a scroll across the table.

"Are you sure you don't mind me reading this?" Akane shook her head as Ryoga took the scroll. He put down his cup of tea, reaching across to examine the scroll. The lettering on the top was neat, but there were several ink blots and markings that suggested it was a letter written in haste and distress. It was addressed simply, only 'To Akane,' visible on the outside. Ryoga opened the bindings on the scroll, unrolled it, and quickly perused the length of the letter.

He read;

"To Akane,

Akane, first, let me apologize. This letter may be hard to believe, but it is all true. Just remember, until you met me, you didn't believe in magic. As hard as it maybe for you to believe me, you must, if only for piece of mind. To begin, I want you to know that this was not my intention, but perhaps this is for the best. You can look at it as the hastening of the inevitable, for I always intended to return to China, but under different circumstances.

As for an explanation... We've discussed before a little of the history of the region where I came – there are three tribes; the Amazons, proud warriors and strong (to which both Konatsu and I are members of as females); The Musk, deadly enemies and powerful allies, to whom Herb is the Prince and Konatsu and I are honorary members as males.

The third tribe is secretive and dangerous, and Ku Lon, the Amazon elder, knows little of them. They are called the Phoenix tribe, and as strange as it may sound, they are a half-human, half-avian race of people that live in Phoenix mountain, a volcano on the edges of the Amazons and the Musk territory, but close enough to watch over the Jusenkyo Valley (where we acquired our curses.) Long before the Amazons first arrived to the valley over 3,000 years ago, the Phoenix people had made this valley their home.

Little is known about them except that their leader is named Saffron. If this is a hereditary title is unknown, but Saffron is always spoke of with awe and fear by the few captives that are found each year. Not much more is known, however, because all the captives who are taken burst into flame upon capture, with his name their last dying word.

Old writings hinted that the Phoenix are responsible for the creation of the Jusenkyo springs. But for what ever reason, there is a deep and mysterious link between the third tribe and the land. Once roughly every four hundred years, the springs go dry. When this happens, the volcano, Mt. Phoenix, the home of the Phoenix tribe, erupts. As the mountain spews forth smoke and ash, the tribe pours forth, an unstoppable horde sweeping across the nation bringing war and destruction to everything in its path. Nothing can stop them but time; when the mountain ceases its violence, the tribe slowly return to the mountain, fury spent.

The tribe is not limited in mobility like a traditional army. The gift of flight gives them long range and power, and I would place each individual warrior among the strongest I know. The last time this rampage happened was in the 1250's, when the 'Mongols' conquered China, as well as most of the known world. Historians have credited the Khans with atrocities and wiping out of cities, but the reality is that the Phoenix ravaged the land, sweeping all resistance before them, as well as bringing the Black Death to Europe. The Mongol hordes simply followed after, conquering lands that no one was left to defend.

That brings us back to my original intention. I learned today that the springs of Juskenkyo have run dry again. On top of that, the combined intelligence efforts of the The Amazons and the Musk have learned that the Phoenix are equipped with modern weapons purchased from a rouge state to the East.

They are preparing for War. We have records of a successful attempt at stopping the last Phoenix rampage during the 1600's, and it all hinges on the assassination of Saffron before the armies march. At the risk of our own lives, the Amazons and Musk plan on invading the Mt. Phoenix, and hopefully prevent a war on a much larger scale. With today's weapons, it is not hard to imagine this conflict growing to encompass all of China, if not all of Asia or beyond...

I do not expect to survive. You don't have to believe this letter. Then again, before you met me, curses and magic were not real either. I wish our time together had been longer, but I am happy with what I've had. If we are successful, you probably will never hear about it. If we fail, however...

Before I left, you told me you loved me. I love you as well, but I ask that you move on. There is little hope for me. I leave a gift for you, as a remembrance and a token of my affection. Do what you will with it, for I will have little use for it where I am going.

With fond memories,

Ranma

* * *

Ryoga quietly rolled up the silk, and carefully placed it on the table. He took a sip of his tea, watching Akane's face across the rim of his cup. "Nice that he kept it light hearted, isn't' it?" Ryoga took another sip, carefully considering his options.

A wry smile cracked Akane's grim visage. She asked, "Do you believe him?"

Ryoga felt his anger drain as he nodded.

"You do?"

"Call me crazy, but... I think I had a run in with those bird people not too long ago. I got lost, as usual, and ended up somewhere in China. I thought I was hallucinating, but..."

"But?"

"Well, these... people came down from the sky. They looked like angles, but I've never seen an angle with a Kalashnikov... Anyway, to make a long story short, they took me hostage. I was held in a cell for about two months, when one day they let me go outside for a breath of fresh air." Ryoga smirked. "I turned around, and all of the sudden I was in England."

"What do you mean, England?"

"Ranma's not the only one who's cursed. I don't like to talk about it, but, I have the world's worst sense of direction..."

* * *

Ranma hitched his backpack, glancing side to side as he continued to run through the forest. Konatsu was scouting ahead, while Herb flew silently above the canopy, searching the skies for signs of hostility. It had been two days since landing in central Qinghai, still hundreds of miles from their ultimate destination. They had made good time from the airport, relying on both private and public transportation. When the roads finally became too remote or hostile for vehicles, they ran. They were in a hurry to get back to the Jusenkyo valley, and only stopped long enough to catch a few hours of sleep at a time. Meals were perfunctory affairs, often consisting of foods that could be eaten on the run, like fruits and cold army rations.

They were drawing close to home. Ranma could see Konatsu up in the distance waiting. Ranma gave a sharp whistle to Herb before he drew next to Konatsu. Herb landed softly nearby, walking over to the pair. The married couple briefly engaged in a hug, even though both were currently male. As Herb drew away, he asked, "What is it, Konatsu?"

"Musk Patrols ahead, Prince. Do you intend to identify yourself, or do you still intend on arriving in secret?"

"In secret. I need to consult with my father before any decisions are made."

Konatsu nodded, assuaged by Herb's answer. The ninja indicated for the pair to follow him as he silently picked a path through the forest. The way began to climb steadily, and finally approached a ridge top. Again, at Konatsu's signal, Ranma and Herb dropped to the ground and crawled to the ridgeline. Below them stretched the Musk royal grounds, where they slowly examined the palace from the safety of the trees. Far in the distance, Mt. Phoenix stood out in harsh relief against the blue sky.

A vast army of men had assembled on the parade grounds, drilling in the heat of the day. Occasionally cries of the officers would echo up to their lofty perch, followed by an abrupt change in direction from one of the various assemble companies. Legions of archers could be seen taking target practice behind the drill grounds, as well as various weapon training regiments.

Ranma softly whistled. He had never seen the assembled might of the Musk. If they had this much man power, things couldn't be that bad, right? He said as much to his companions, who merely shook their heads. Herb's response chilled him.

"Had we ten times this much, Ranma, it would merely be a drop in the bucket next to the might of the Phoenix." Herb turned to Konatsu and simply commanded, "Find us a way in, Kenzan."

* * *

Herb dropped silently on the balcony, falling to one knee. He heard the two soft thuds behind him signaling the arrival of his friends. He glanced around briefly, satisfied that his arrival had been unobserved. He stood and immediately allowed his aura to flare briefly. Patiently he waited until the double doors he faced were thrown wide open, only to be greeted by the smiling face of his Father.

Herb dropped to a knee, simply saying, "I have returned, Father."

* * *

The greetings had been brief but intense before Herb was ushered into the war room with his father. Konatsu had transformed into her female form, and held Herb's arm as they were led. Ranma trailed behind, holding everyone's bags.

The war room was a bustle of activity. Servants, bearing arm loads of maps and scrolls were running around frantically, attempting to keep up the constant cry of the planners that crowded the room. Ranma snagged a servant's sleeve on his way in the room, and wordlessly dropped the three backpacks into his arms.

"Take these to Prince Herb's chambers." The servant bowed and hustled out. Ranma turned to find the King, Herb, and Konatsu assembled around a large circular table in the middle of the room, on top of which sat a model of Mt. Phoenix and the surrounding grounds. He joined the group just as the conversation turned to strategic matters.

The king was using a low intensity lance of ki to point out various features of the model. He pushed various markers used to represent the Musk and Amazon armies to various points on the map, indicating the plan of attack and expected results. "Near as we can tell, Herb, most of the entrances near the bottom are traps or dead ends, designed to fool those who cannot fly." He indicated a small strike team that was just visible around the corner of the model. "The frontal assaults are fully expected to fail, but..." He gently grabbed the edge of the table and spun it away from him. The table top had been set on bearings, allowing the entire surface to rotate until the back of the model faced the King.

"We did find one entrance, marked, 'employees only,' that seems to be a legitimate entrance to the interior. A small strike force should be able to breach this entrance during the ensuing battle, and hopefully find Saffron before the mountain erupts." The King shook his head.

Herb frowned as he examined the map. "Hopefully?"

The King grimaced. "Plainly put, we don't know. Unfortunately, our intelligence at this point is severely limited. The Musk are not trained in the arts of stealth, and most of our spies have been... silenced."

Konatsu cleared her throat lightly. "What kind of intelligence do you need, your Highness?"

"I was hoping you would ask, Princess..."

* * *

Ryoga leaned back to dodge a weak crescent kick from Akane, catching her ankle at the apex of it's arc, quickly transferring his own momentum into her leg, causing her to topple over. Ryoga moved in to finish the sparing match while his opponent was down, but stopped when he noticed tears in Akane's eyes. He immediately began to stammer out an apology.

"I'm so sorry, Akane-san! Did I hurt you?"

Akane fought back the tears, trying to smile as she shook her head. "No, Ryoga, you didn't. I was just reminded of Ranma just now... He'd do that to me a lot. Once, he used that as an excuse to..." she trailed of as she started to blush, but then began crying in earnest. Ryoga just stood there, hopelessly lost, unsure of how to comfort the girl. He had been extremely distressed to learn that Akane had been, ahem, intimately acquainted with Ranma, and it showed in his response to her pain.

He wanted to comfort her, but felt strange to do so, given that she was in so much agony over Ranma. Finally, he just settled for sitting on the ground next to her, and awkwardly patting her shoulder as she cried. It had only been a week since Ranma had departed, and the pain was still very fresh for Akane.

"We can stop sparring if..." Ryoga began lamely, but trailed off when Akane's bleary eyes looked up at his.

"NO!" She stopped and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she began getting her emotions under control before she opened them again. "I'm sorry Ryoga. I don't want to stop. I need this..." Getting up from the floor, she took a ready stance and a deep breath. "And Ryoga?"

"Yes?" He stood as well, taking a stance opposite from her.

"Thanks. You really are such a good friend."

Lost in her own emotional pain, Akane never noticed the stricken look that crossed Ryoga's face.

* * *

A bird's shrill cry pierced the air, and Ranma immediately took cover. She heard a slight rustle in the tree tops and Herb landed, hiding as best he could in the foliage. They waited tensely, unmoving for several minutes until the patrol passed by in the distance. Ranma slow counted to fifty in her head before she moved again, peering cautiously in the direction of the foot patrol that had passed.

Answering the previous bird call with one of her own, Ranma quickly sprinted to from tree to tree, using the boughs for cover as she steadily made her way forward. Herb stuck to the tree tops, not trusting his ground camouflage for this mission. When Ranma caught up to Konatsu, Herb dropped out of the tree tops to examine the crude map that was drawn in the dirt.

They briefly went over the plans once again. Checking to see that all watches were synchronized, Herb nodded briefly to Ranma and gave Konatsu a quick kiss before heading off towards the front of Mt. Phoenix. Konatsu and Ranma watched until he disappeared.

As Ranma watched Herb go, she began to rub her chin. "So, what kind of distraction do you think he's got planned?"

"Knowing Herb like I do, probably something spectacular." Konatsu chuckled briefly. She was currently female, because stealth was slightly easier in that form.

"I wish I was going to be there to see it."

"I think we will be able to, regardless." With that, Konatsu took off towards her objective, leaving Ranma to find hers.

* * *

Akane walked along, lost in thought. She didn't have any real interest in going to school, but it wouldn't do well to skip too many days. She idly began to finger the pendent that hung from her neck, wondering about Ranma. It had been his parting gift to her, along with a set of instructions. At first glance it was nothing special – just a small silver hammer on a slender platinum chain. With a sigh, she looked up to see the gates of Furinkan looming before her.

As expected, Kuno stood before the entrance, dressed in traditional gi and hakama, bokken held at the ready. Fingering her pendant once again, Akane smiled grimly as she thought about Ranma's instructions. She briefly focused, pulling up what meager battle aura she could, and channeled it.

She examined the mallet that appeared in her hands, hefting it to test for balance and weight. "Perfect." Her grin was genuine this time, until she remembered the incident that had probably inspired the gift. Instead of crying, she marched through the gates with poor Kuno in her sights. He never had a chance.

* * *

Herb's 'demonstration' had been quite dramatic, indeed. Herb had knocked on the front entrances to the mountain using the biggest ki blast in his arsenal. Like an anthill that had been trampled, the fort had poured forth its soldiers, intent on neutralizing any threat. In the pandemonium, Ranma had quietly slipped inside one of the entrances that had issued forth combatants.

Ranma thanked the long dead spirit of her father once again as the two Phoenix guards looked right through him before turning away. Safely invisible within the Umisen-ken, Ranma swiftly worked his way up the passage, carefully charting her progress, drawing a map as she proceeded deeper within the Phoenix stronghold.

* * *

At back entrance, Konatsu put the blow gun down as she watched the two guards expressions turn blank. She merrily strolled up to the pair, plucking the needles out of their necks and carefully incinerating them with a small burst of ki. These two wouldn't remember anything for the next fifteen minutes. Another interesting side effect of the drug was that it worked like a truth serum. Konatsu quickly lifted the keys off the waist of one guard, and began asking questions.

* * *

Herb held his breath as yet another patrol passed within feet of his hiding spot. After his demonstration, he had run as fast as he possible, attempting to put as much distance between himself and the blast crater, sticking to the forests for added cover. His father's estimates about the size of the army were woefully inadequate... The Musk would greatly appreciate the information, provided he managed to live to tell anyone.

* * *

Ranma had no idea what the purpose the room served, but she took notes anyway. The dominate feature was a huge basin in the middle of the room, behind which stood two giant statues, one of a dragon, and the second of a phoenix. A strange staff stuck out of the top of each statue. He quickly sketched the two designs before he turned to leave. Suddenly, he heard voices echoing down the only entrance to the room.

"... my lord. It will not be long now until the bath is ready. And after that..." Ranma carefully peaked around his vantage point from on top of the dragon statue, he observed an older Phoenix in ornate robes accompanying a small child of regal bearing. He was too far to hear all the conversation, but the snippets he heard were interesting enough.

The older phoenix was answering questions from the younger. "Yes, my Lord. Preparations are well underway. The spouts will begin to pour forth in just over a week."

The child spoke again, but his voice was too soft and high pitched to carry to far. It must have been praise, as the older Phoenix murmured some platitudes in response to whatever had been said. At that moment the conversation was cut off as a beautiful female Phoenix soldier flanked by two attendants entered the room in a rush.

"My Lord Saffron!" All three immediately dropped to a knee and waited for a response.

To Ranma's surprise, the child answered. "Rise, Kiima. What have you to report about the earlier disturbance?"

Kiima rose. "It was a ki blast of considerable sized, Milord. The perpetrator has not been found, but little damage was done. A few false entrances were disturbed, and most of the traps within the mountain will need to be reset as a result of the vibrations."

"How long will that take?"

"We can have it done within two weeks, Milord."

"You have one, Kiima. My transformation is coming soon."

"One... week, Milord? We shall have to work through the night in order to accomplish that!"  
"Will that be a problem, Kiima?" Even from Ranma's perch, the menace in Saffron's voice was clear.

Kiima paled. "No, Milord. One week, as you request. Is there anything else, Milord?"

"If you find who did this, kill them."

"Yes, Milord!" Kiima remained kneeling as Saffron and his advisor swept out of the room, followed afterwards by the three soldiers. Ranma ruminated for a bit before writing the conversations down. At least now she had a time frame.

* * *

Konatsu examined the throne room carefully, taking precautions not to disturb anything. She examined the both models that were laid out before her. One was of the Jusenkyo Valley and a strange room with a Phoenix and Dragon Statue. The second was a representation of China and the surrounding countries, with various markings depicting army movements. She pulled out a camera, and merrily began to take pictures. It wasn't often she got to utilize the true skills of a kunoichi. She had gone through several rolls of film when she heard footsteps outside the door.

* * *

Saffron flung the doors open, followed closely by his advisor. The child leader strode up to his throne, examining the models that sat close by. Saffron pointed at the mock up of the room with the two statues. "Let's go over the mobilization process once again."

"Yes, Milord."

"How many prisoners do you have for my transformation?"

"We have thirteen condemned criminals and two captured Amazons. They will be in the bathing chamber to fuel your transformation when the Jusenkyo water pours forth."

"And the first targets?"

"Here, Milord." The old man hobbled forward to point at a supply depot close to the Jusenkyo Valley. "It is a forgotten PLA supply dump for campaigns against the western Muslims. Our secondary targets are here and here." The old man illustrated by pointing the corresponding places on the map.

"What of the news about the Musk and Amazon mustering?"

"It is being monitored, my lord. I have spies patrolling the areas now. I will know more when they return."

Conversation continued in this vein for quite a while. Outside the window Konatsu hung on by only her fingertips with a drop of nearly a thousand feet stretched out before her. The only problem was that she couldn't record anything she was hearing.

* * *

Ranma slipped outside the door, past the guards that were patrolling the entrance. She stuffed the map of the mountain she had drawn into a waterproof case and hung it around her neck. Waving goodbye to the guards that couldn't see her; she quickly headed down the mountain, back in the direction of the Musk.

* * *

Konatsu wanted to sigh, but the noise would have given her away. There was no way out of it. Saffron was still in the chambers, and unlikely to leave soon. This info had to get back... Considering she was hanging from her fingertips off a window sill, Konatsu shrugged as best she could before letting go. Free fall was an exhilarating feeling, at least till you hit the ground.

Falling at terminal velocity, Konatsu waited until she was a mere twenty feet above the ground before flaring her Ki as strongly as possible, channeling it into flight like Herb had taught her. It managed to slow her decent enough that she touched down with a heavy thud, jarring her legs. She immediately released her ki and looked around, checking for signs of pursuit. Not sensing anything, Konatsu quickly ran down the mountain, heading back home.

* * *

Ryoga shouldered his pack as he looked at the sign of the Tendo Dojo one last time before turning with a sigh. It was painful for him to stay here and watch Akane suffer. He began to walk away, when he heard her voice.

"Ryoga, where are you going?"

"Akane..." Ryoga clammed up. How do you tell someone that you are being torn apart watching them suffer over love? Particularly when you suffer from unrequited love yourself? "I've got to go... I just remembered I'm supposed to visit someone..."

"Oh? Who are you visiting?"

"My friend in Osaka. Goes by the name of Ukyou."

Akane cocked her head to the side. "How wonderful! Do you mind if I walk with you to the train station?"

"Err..."

Akane fell into step with Ryoga, not particularly paying attention to where they were going. "It's been real nice having you here, Ryoga. With Ranma gone..." She sighed and trailed off.

Ryoga frowned, but said nothing. Silence reigned for a while as the pair just continued to walk for a while. Finally, Ryoga worked up the courage to speak. "Do you really... love Ranma, even after what he's done?"

A wisp of a smile flashed across Akane's face. "Yeah, I do. I don't blame him. He was always honest about leaving, but it's going to take time to accept..." Akane glanced up, taking stock of her surroundings for the first time. "Umm.. Ryoga?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we?"

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

* * *

"Honestly, Ryoga! How could you get us so lost in just a few minutes?" Akane spat out a mouthful of leaves as a branch caught her in the mouth. She ripped the offending branch off the tree, tossing it to the ground.

"I said I'm sorry! I told you I was cursed!"

"Well, do you have any idea where we are?"  
"No, I don't. But I did see some smoke over that way..." Ryoga gestured in the way they were heading, and promptly turned around.

"Ryoga!"

"Yes?"

"THIS WAY!!!"

Ryoga just chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. Akane was scary when she glowed. That mallet didn't help appearances any, either.

* * *

Akane finally broke free of the forest to see a log palisade and watch tower stretch out before her. She noticed people walking atop the palisade, and immediately started walking towards it. Her journey was stopped short when a few arrows embedded themselves in the ground by her leading foot. Not long afterwards, both she and Ryoga were surrounded by a bunch of spear wielding women.

"Um... Does anyone speak Japanese?" Akane hung her head when no one seemed to understand.

* * *

"How did you find us, girl?"

"My name's Akane, not girl!"

"Very well, Akane. How did you get here, past our patrols?"

"Like I said, I was walking with my friend here," Akane slapped Ryoga on the back of the head before continuing, "and next thing I know I'm outside your gates. I don't even know where here is. I have no clue how I got her. Last I knew, I was in Tokyo, Japan, Nerima ward."

Ku Lon looked at Ryoga, who just shrugged. "This is the Joketsuzoku Village."

Akane perked up. "Amazons? As in Ranma Saotome?"

Ku Lon narrowed her eyes. "You know him?"

"Know him? We're engaged!"

* * *

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope everyone is enjoying this story, particularly as it winds down... This chapter practically wrote itself. I hope people enjoyed the re-introduction of some bit characters. I always had planed to have Ryoga participate in the final saga, and this worked for me. Questions, comments, and criticisms welcome.  
  
Now, to reply to some reviews! (my favorite part!)  
C. Rose writes:

"I'm still enjoying this story quite a bit, my only complaint really is the fight scenes aren't really all that expansive. We usually see the beginning, then the end of the fight, but never the whole fight and what the two fighters are thinking as they fight. Either that or the fight is just completely skipped over and all we see is the after math.

Akane the horny girl is funny. ;;"

I'm glad you enjoy the story, and keep reading it. Perhaps I'm not being blatant enough, but my whole effort was to write this from the point of view of a Buddhist philosophy, which abhors violence of any kind. By glossing over (or completely ignoring it), I felt that I was adding another layer (even if subtle)

I never claimed to write a good fight scene - in fact, on many occasions, I publicly declared I would not write them, as I had 'no flair' for them. I'm sorry if you find that disappointing, but I don't think you need them to advance the story. Where important to plot development, I have included important elements, but I feel that most people have either read enough Ranma or seen enough to imagine what the fights look like. If not, then perhaps I'm doing a disservice.

Lord Strife writes:  
"I always knew ranma was incredible powerful in neko-mode, heck even cologne wasn't a match for him."  
Yeap - deus ex machina, in a way.

mr-sexy27 writes;

"Excellent story. I must admit, this is an incredibly original piece, and that is one thing unfortunately lacking in most stories. Great job, and keep up the good work."

Thanks for the encouragement. I will try to keep the qualitiy high, if i can. Thanks for reading!

nonengel writes:  
"nice chapter... i shudder at the idea of Happosai's plans"

hehehee... fun, ain't it?


	19. Wisdom

Akane followed her escort through the village, being careful not to meet anyone's eyes as she moved through the market. She followed her guide Xian Pu as they worked their way down the muddy streets of the village. Xian Pu was nice enough, or at least not openly hostile to Akane. After her interrogation at the front gate, Ku Lon had ordered Xian Pu to escort Akane and Ryoga to the Elder's house. She could see why the Ku Lon had been reluctant to leave, and the wisdom in Ku Lon's warnings. Do not make eye contact. Do not speak if spoken too. Above all, do not get into any fights.

The first one was hard, but she would manage. The second warning was pretty easy to follow, really, considering the only Chinese she knew were the dirty words Ranma had taught her. Unfortunately, they seemed to be the only words spoken in her direction. Most of that tension was handled by her guide, who would simply say a few curt words to the name callers before moving on. The third part of the warning, however...

Akane grimaced again as yet another piece of rotten food struck her in the back. It landed with a sickening squelch before falling to the ground. As much as she wanted too, Akane didn't whirl around and glare at her antagonist. How had Ranma put up with years of this? Xian Pu kept a measured pace through the streets, neither speeding up nor slowing down as some Amazon children threw more food. Of course, she did nothing to stop the barrage of rotten foods, either.

Surprisingly, Ryoga got very little of the harassment she received. He did receive a number of calculating looks however. He nervously rubbed the back of his head the entire trip, occasionally being tugged along by the rope tied around his waist. Xian Pu held the other end, not really interested in the boy much, but intent on delivering him unharmed to Ku Lon's house.

"Is it much further, Xian Pu?" Akane asked.

"Not too too far now. We arrive at Elder house soon." Akane nodded, gritting her teeth as a she ducked a rotten tomato that whizzed by her head.

"Will I be able to take a bath when we arrive?"

"No know. Maybe. You ask Elder Ku Lon."

"Why do they hate me so much?"

Xian Pu just shrugged. "Is not you, just outsiders they hate. You get good good reception with me leading. Very tamer."

"How is this tame?"

"Many year ago last outsider who visit drawn and quartered." Xian Pu mimed the very gruesome death. Akane blanched and decided she could live with some rotten food.

When the finally arrived at the house, Xian Pu showed them in, and admonished them not to leave for any reason. She tied the end of Ryoga's rope to a piece of furniture before heading into a bedroom and closing the door.

Ryoga sighed as he took off his pack and set it on the floor. "Now what?"

Akane didn't answer because she was, busy trying to pick bits of food out of her hair.

* * *

In the War Room, Konatsu, Herb, and Ranma were comparing notes with the Musk King. Ranma's diagrams were immediately sent out to be copied by hand while Konatsu's list of weak points and traps were quickly being incorporated into the map. The number figures were adjusted upwards as a result of Herb's efforts. If things had looked grim before, they were even more so now.

The design of Mt. Phoenix was brilliant, to say the least. Any force that was earthbound had little chance of breaching the defenses even if they outnumbered the defenders ten to one. The pathways were carved out of solid rock, designed in concentric curving spirals that narrowed as they approached the summit of the mountain, with choke points strategically placed at every blind curve. Three or four men could hold off hundreds, safe from arrow fire because of the curved nature of the pathways. A thousand men could hold the fort indefinitely.

Siege wasn't an option – for one, the Phoenix could come and go as the pleased, and second, the mountain had an internal source of water and an ingenious water delivery system that assured access to clean water at every major defensible place in the mountain. The water supply in question was a small snow-fed lake in the mountain's crater. As the water seeped down, it was channeled into various pipes and tunnels in the rock to feed the mountain, and eventually ended in the Jusenkyou Valley.

The only access point large enough to fit an army was almost three quarters of the way up, thousands of feet above the valley floor. It was no easy climb – while a few men could make it in relative safety, and army would be torn apart before they even reached the half-way point. The mountain was extremely steep, and was a challenge for even the hardiest of climbers.

On top of the formidable natural defenses, the Phoenix had designed a lethal system of traps as a first and last line defense against invaders. The variety and location were all cleverly hidden, but in the end, it all spelled one thing. The mountain would not be taken.

The one spot of hope in the whole affair was that Saffron had been identified. The information about his transformation, while puzzling, was at least useful for timing. Ranma and Konatsu were quickly able to compare photographs and notes to determine that the strange room with the statues was vital to the process somehow.

"That's it then. We strike there." Herb pointed at the drawing of the room. "While the army attacks the front, we slip a small team in through the back entrance, and strike while he's vulnerable."

Ranma frowned as he fingered his drawings. "I don't know if a team is a good idea. One or two people, three tops." Ranma looked up, and glanced at his companions.

The King nodded. Rubbing his chin, he asked, "Who would you send, then?"

"Me." Herb, Konatsu, and Ranma spoke as one.

"You can't go!" Yet again they had spoken in unison. It degenerated into a shouting match for a few minutes, before the King held his hands up to silence them.

Konatsu spoke out of turn first, "I'm the best assassin here and you know it! Plus, I've been inside, and I know my way around the mountain."

The king nodded in ascent, then motioned for Herb to speak. "But we don't know how strong Saffron might be. If the attempt fails, I can bring the mountain down on our heads, ending this menace once and for all!"

Ranma was quite for a moment before he spoke. "I'm going."

Herb snorted. "And why is that?"

"Because, I'm my reasons are just as valid as Konatsu's, and I can bring that rock down too, if I have too. This is a suicide mission." Ranma took Konatsu's hands and placed them in Herbs. "You two have a reason to live."

Ranma could tell the pair was about to protest. He held up his hands, forestalling any arguments. He glanced at the map. There was something about the lake... His eyes whipped up to look at the Musk King. "Are the springs completely dry?"

The king frowned. "Not yet, but soon. What does this have to do with who we send after Saffron?"

"I just thought of a way we might come out of this alive. It's risky, but if it works, it may just even the odds a little bit..."

Ranma spread the map out before him and began to explain. The assembled people frowned, and began asking questions. There was no reason it wouldn't work, but it all hinged on a few important details. They had one week to figure out the kinks, and they were going to need help. The next thing they needed to do was to contact the Amazons.

* * *

Ranma morphed into his female form as he neared the palisade. She had made it unmolested, even though she had observed figures flying high above in the clouds, monitoring movements below. Hopefully, a lone messenger between the two kingdoms wouldn't trip any alarm bells. At this point, secrecy was their greatest ally.

While she was known in both forms, it was simply a matter of decorum to be female while in the Amazon settlement. The guards issued the traditional challenge to identify herself, and Ranma responded with the appropriate response. She hadn't really understood why it was necessary before, but with war approaching, spies had to be caught. She waved back in response to the warm greetings by the guards at the gates, calling out as she passed, "Do you know where the Elders are?"

The guards pointed to the center of town. With a nod of her head, Ranma turned and jogged lightly down the street. Even if they had been happy to see her, the mood was still very tense. The town seemed subdued. Children weren't running through the streets, and livestock were carefully penned and tethered. The Amazons were ready.

"None of what you are about to read can leave this room." Ranma handed over a scroll detailing the plans that the Musk had assembled, and their requests from the Amazons. The intelligence that Herb, Konatsu, and Ranma had assembled was also provided, although in a condensed form. Ranma then told them about his idea, and if they thought it might work.

Ku Lon surveyed the assembled plans before her, trying to pick apart any flaws in the logic. When she finished, she passed it to the other two Elders present. The Elders were skeptical at first, asking questions about the logistics of Ranma's ideas.

Ranma had answers for most questions, but acknowledged that the idea was risky and not guaranteed to work. Ranma finally broke it down, saying, "As far as I can see Elders, it may just be the best chance we have. Half of winning a battle is to utilize your resources to the best possible extent. I think we'd be silly not too."

Ku Lon merely stroked her chin, not answering. It had a considerable amount of appeal. Considering the size of the force the Phoenix could muster, anything that could even the playing field was welcomed. "Ranma," she said, "how much of a window do you figure we have before this chance passes us by?"

Ranma shrugged. "I'm unsure. I stopped by on my way here, and at the current rates, we might have three, maybe four days, tops."

"How long do we have before the strike?"

"One week, Elder."

"Hmmm... It's very risky, child."

"I know, Elder. But it may be our only chance. Do you think it can be done? The Musk are waiting for night fall to start." Ranma pointed to a particular section of the parchment. "The only way it will work is with Amazon assistance. We are being watched. There were patrols in the sky on my way here."

"I have seen them, child."

"Then you know how little time we have."

At this point, the other Elders had finished reading the information. They passed it back to Ranma, who asked if they had committed the details to memory. They confirmed, and with a brief burst of ki Ranma incinerated the scroll. "Will the Musk have your assistance?"

All three nodded. Ku Lon spoke for the group, being the most senior. "Little did we imagine that our new found friendship with the Musk would be tested so soon. We will aide you."

"Thank you. If any of us survive, we will look back on this as a crowning moment for our tribes." That somber statement reminded them of how dismal their chances were. They talked a little more of plans, working out the details of how to accomplish what needed to be done and keep it secret. With that, everyone departed, with Ranma and Ku Lon heading to her house, and the other Elders rousing up the necessary woman power to start the first part of the plan.

* * *

"Ranma, must you leave right now? Wouldn't it be better to wait for the night fall, when your movements can not be tracked? That way you can swing by and say hello to Xian Pu as well. She'd love to see you, I'm sure." Ku Lon was bouncing along on her stick next to Ranma, who was strolling casually towards the palisade.

"I'd like that, Elder. Did she win this year's tournament?"

"In deed she did. The second placed challenger looked like a baby compared to her prowess."

"You must be quite proud of her."

"Besides you and Konatsu, she is the best student I've ever had. A little obstinate, perhaps, but she will learn." They turned down the path to Ku Lon's house, idly chatting about village events during Ranma's absence.

* * *

Konatsu rolled over and threw her leg over Herb's as he flopped back on the bed, exhausted. They quietly held each other for a while, waiting for their breathing to return to normal. Their love making had been unusually fierce, with all the need, stress, and emotion of the coming battle playing itself out in the lovers' embrace, leaving them both utterly drained.

"Konatsu?"

"Yes, love?"

"Will you reconsider the assault? There are others who can take your place. I can't stand the thought of you involved in something so dangerous."

"I can't do that Herb. Would you allow someone else to do your job, even if you could?"

Herb sighed. "But if you perish, then so shall I."

Konatsu gently reached up to stroke Herb's face. "One of us will survive. Besides, I have to be there with my troops, just as you have to be there to lead the Musk to battle."

"I accept it, but I don't have to like it."

"You're going to be in just as much danger as I will. As the General of the Musk, you will be targeted. Cut off the head and..."

The conversation trailed off as Herb cut her off with a kiss. It didn't resume for a long time as the embrace deepened and the need returned.

* * *

Ranma reached towards the door handle, only to have it ripped from his grasp as the door was opened suddenly. Xian Pu stood facing him, Bombori clenched in one hand as she stared at the boy defiantly. She quickly shifted one of the maces to her free hand and took up a ready stance.

She grinned. Ranma grinned back, right before she unleashed a punishing blow aimed at Ranma's head. The boy simply leaned back, allowing the blow to pass by harmlessly, concentrating on dodging the follow up attacks as well. Ranma leapt clear of the door. Xian Pu moved to follow before Ku Lon's throat clearing caused both fighters to pause.

"I know you're happy to see him Xian Pu, but perhaps we could tend to the other business first?" Xian Pu blushed before quickly hiding her bombori. Xian Pu moved aside to allow Ranma to enter, but not before she inundated Ranma with questions about his trip. He laughed at the deluge until her last question registered.

"What was that about a fiancée?"

* * *

Ranma groaned as he saw Akane sitting in the main room. She stood up when she say him, and resolutely walked in his direction. Ranma gulped as he watched her cross the floor. He had seen her pissed before, but this was a whole new level of anger. Had he been thinking a little more critically, he would have genuinely impressed by the battle aura that was radiating from the woman.

Ku Lon was smirking as she and Xian Pu traded bets about how long Ranma would last before Akane's wrath. They winced as the slap connected, resounding throughout the small cabin, followed by a few solid thuds as the two 'discussed' a few issues.

"I think Xian Pu could learn to like Ranma's fiancée. She certainly seems to know how to handle her man."

Ku Lon nodded sagely. "Umm... I think that last blow was a little excessive."

"Aiya... If she keeps that up, she won't have to worry about children..."

* * *

Akane changed the cold compress on Ranma's forehead as he continued to glare at her.

"What?" Akane ignored the stare, placing the old compress into the bucket of cold water at the bedside.

Ranma mumbled something unintelligible, but that was because his lips were swollen and his jaw was sore.

"What was that? I can't understand you."

He tried again, but the words were still unclear. She knew what he was trying to say, though. "I'm not apologizing, Ranma. You left me, remember?" She watched in fascination as he knit his brows in frustration before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He started to glow briefly, and as she watched the wounds she had inflicted began to close up before her eyes. The wounds didn't close completely, but the swelling was reduced noticeably and the color returned to normal.

"How'd you do that?"

"Ki." Ranma tore the compress off his forehead and sat up. "What are you doing here, Akane?"

"Oh, you abandon me, and demand to know what I'm doing trying to track you down?"

"You knew I couldn't stay in Japan. I was always clear about that from the beginning. You can't stay here, Akane."

"Why not?"

"Well, in case my letter didn't make it clear, I'm about to get involved in a war." Ranma swung his legs over the side of the bed so the two were sitting side by side. He gently reached over and rested his hand on top of her closest knee. "You can't stay here, Akane. I need you to go home. Please."

"You don't have to fight, Ranma. There must be some other way. You said yourself that the Amazons had stopped them before. Why not just let them do it this time, too?"  
Ranma shook his head. "Last time they stopped the Phoenix, there were a lot more Amazons, Akane. They were nearly ten thousand Amazons involved in that battle."

"What happened?"

"The Phoenix gave up because their leader was killed. Ten thousand Amazons sent to kill one man, and only three hundred returned. All the fighters in the village were wiped out in one fell swoop. Countless techniques and weapons were lost, and the Amazons never really recovered their strength. Those silly laws about marrying outsiders were a result of that battle – so many died that the survivors resorted to conscriptions and forced marriages to try and recuperate from the loses."

Ranma removed his hand. "I've seen their armies, Akane. The Amazons aren't as strong as they used to be. The Phoenix easily have thirty thousand troops ready for battle. Between the Musk and the Amazon, we can field maybe thirty-five hundred. Plus, they have long memories. They remember how we beat them last time, and might strike us before we can attack."

"It sounds hopeless." Akane bit her thumbnail, trying not to let her nervousness show.

Ranma snorted. "It is hopeless. We can't win, but we have to try."

"If it is so hopeless, why do it? Surely one person won't make a huge difference. Come back to Japan with me, and forget about this war."

"And leave all my friends to die? We won't be safe in Japan, either. The Phoenix invaded Japan back in the 13th century too, and if it hadn't been for the Divine Wind, they would have won."

Akane looked Ranma in the eyes. He raised a hand to gently touch the side of her face. "I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt. Please. I need you to go back, so that I can do what I must here."

"I don't want to. If you're going to fight, I want to be near you, Ranma."

"Let me ask you a question, Akane. What did your father tell you about the duty of a martial artist?"

Akane frowned. She could see where this was going, and she didn't like it. "The duty of a marital artist is to protect those who can't protect themselves."

"Then you know why I have to do this. If sacrificing myself prevents the deaths of tens of thousands of innocents, it's my duty."

"Can't someone else take your place?"

"There is no one else. You understand why you have to go?" Ranma watched Akane nod as tears slowly began to run down Akane's face. He stood only to have Akane grab his hand and pull him back to the bed.

"Please, Ranma. Let me stay."

"So you can watch me die?

"No... I just..."

"I can't do that. I'm sorry." Ranma held her as she clung to him desperately, sobs wracking her body. Her tears continued unabated for a few minutes until she finally calmed down enough to regain a modicum of composure. Ranma reached over to gently wipe a few tears away.

He smiled. "Better?"

"No. What do you expect?" She grinned though, a wry grin that held more than a touch of bitterness. Akane began to pick imaginary pieces of lint off Ranma's clothing. "When do you expect everything to happen?"

Ranma ran his hands through his hair. "Soon." The finality of his answer killed any other questions she had at that moment. Ranma glanced at Akane sideways as she started to smooth his shirt across his shoulders. Something he forgot to ask had just occurred to him.

"Hey, how did you get here, anyway?"

* * *

Ryoga looked up as Ranma entered the room. Ryoga was sitting on the only piece of furniture in the room, a twin bed with a canopy to hold mosquito netting. Ranma leaned against the door frame, smirking as he took in the sight of Ryoga tethered to the bedpost to keep him from wandering.

"Looks like Xian Pu found a new pet." Ranma walked forward and extended his arm. Ryoga grabbed it and the two exchanged a firm shake.

"Was that her name? She was quite pretty. She seemed to enjoy having me tied up a little too much, though." He shuddered. "Not that I liked that, or anything."

Ranma smirked again. "Sure you don't." He became serious as Akane walked in the door behind him. "Ryoga, I need you to get Akane out of here. I heard how you got here. I need you to do the same thing again, and get her as far away from here as possible. Can you do it?"

Akane frowned as Ryoga and Ranma's fell to conversing, catching up on what had happened since they last saw each other. Ryoga's imprisonment with the Phoenix turned out to be a great surprise for Ranma, but unfortunately Ryoga had little useful information. She quietly slipped out of the room. Ranma noticed her departure, of course, but didn't say anything.

Ryoga noticed as well. "Ranma?"

"Yeah, what?"

"What are your chances?"

He shook his head. "Promise me one thing, Ryoga?"

"If I can, sure."

"Take care of her, okay? If you don't, I'll come back and haunt you."

* * *

"Ah... Ku Lon, was it?" Akane approached the old woman carefully, not quite sure what to make of her.

"Yes, child?"

"I have a favor to ask of you..."

"Oh? Well, you can tell me about it on the way to help with tonight's labors. You look like a strong girl, and we are going to need all the help we can get. Did Ranma give you that necklace?"

"Yes... Why?"

"You might find it handy tonight."

* * *

Far above the Amazon village, the circling sentry glanced at the horizon. The sun was going to set soon, so he would have to return or risk a crash in the dark. He had only been out here a couple hours, so he was still fresh. But to fly at night was a death sentence for the Phoenix, because as a race they suffered from night blindness. Completing a wide sweeping turn, he caught the flash from beacon high atop Mt. Pheonix, showing the patrols the way home. The partrols would be out again in first light, monitoring the valley below.

As the sun set, a massive exodus of people left both the Amazon village and the Musk territories, marching down the valley to converge at a point right before the cursed grounds of Jusenkyo. The Musk set up the giant iron caldrons as the Amazons began clearing trees.

Akane staggered into the village as the false dawn lit the horizon. She wasn't the last person in, that honor having been reserved for the Elders. Ku Lon was right about the necklace, though. It was good for summoning up more than just the occasional mallet. That hadn't saved her hands, though. They were a total wreck because it had been a while since she had swung any sort of tool for hours on end, let alone an axe. But if she couldn't help Ranma fight, at least she could help with the efforts to keep everyone alive.

* * *

Ranma put the last steel band on the barrel before tossing it to Konatsu. The ninja caught the 55 gallon barrel with ease, stacking it next to the fifteen others they had assembled. The sky was brightening rapidly. They threw some camouflage over the barrels and separated. Even though the work was done for the night, they were still far short of what was necessary.

* * *

The first patrol in the sky headed out over the valley, the cool morning air helping to wake up the sentries as the scanned the area below them. A slight haze and the smell of wood smoke lingered in the air over the springs. The patrol wasn't particularly surprised – the valley could be cold in the mornings as the heavy mountain air flowed into it. The haze would clear soon enough.

* * *

Ranma climbed into the bath slowly, enjoying the warmth as it sucked the tiredness out of his body. He'd been thirty-six hours without sleep, and channeling ki for the last six hours straight. He could go another thirty-six hours without sleep using his ki to sustain him and prevent normal weariness from wearing him down Still, it didn't mean he would pass the chance to relax and meditate. As he closed his eyes and slipped into a trance, he felt the light touch of the neko on his mind.

"She comes..." Ranma opened his eyes to see Akane enter the bathroom. She didn't say anything as she began scrubbing down. When she had finished soaping, she quickly rinsed and joined Ranma in the tub. He scooted over, making more room for her. While the tub wasn't as big as the Tendo's, it was still capable of handling two people.

Ranma's eyes narrowed as he noticed how tired Akane was. "I thought I asked you to go home."

"You did. But I'm not leaving yet. I want to help. Ku Lon said I could."

"Akane!"

"Ranma, listen. I'll go home, but I want two things from you first."

He glared at her. "Fine, what are they?"

"One – you let me stay and help in the preparations for as long as I can. You need every hand you can get, and I'm strong. You know I can pull my own weight."

"And the second item?"

"Well, I already spoke to Ku Lon about it, and she agrees. She thinks it would be a good idea and..."

"Akane, your rambling. Just spit it out."

"... I want you to marry me."

* * *

Ku Lon smoked her pipe as she listened to the quarreling couple inside. This Akane girl certainly seemed to have the strength of will to deal with Ranma. She would have made a good Amazon. If anybody survived this confrontation, Ku Lon would have to invite the girl back at some point.

The arguments began to die down inside the bathhouse. Ku Lon smiled. She wasn't surprised, but hadn't expected Ranma to acquiesce this easily. She tapped her pipe embers out on the bottom of her shoe, grinding them into the dirt to make sure no fires started. She always loved weddings, even if they were of the shotgun variety.

* * *

The ceremony was short. Since Akane wasn't an Amazon, it was a simple matter of the two answering a few questions from the Elder Ku Lon. A pair of rings was exchanged, and a ribbon was wrapped around their crossed hands. Shampoo attended as Ranma's family, and Ryoga stood in for Akane's. He tried his best to look happy. When everything was finished, Akane dragged Ranma to a house they had been given by the village as a wedding present. When the news was announced to the village people cheered. Good news was always welcome during times of trouble.

* * *

And so six days passed quickly. For Akane, the day was spent on her honeymoon with Ranma, training with the Amazons, and spending the nights with the Amazon work crews. Sleep was in short supply for all involved. Ranma spent his nights working as well, and when not busy with Akane, helping to equip the Amazon warriors as best he could. There would be one day of rest before the battle began so that everyone could catch up on sleep. Ryoga packed his bags, preparing to get lost. Akane tried her best not to cry as Ranma left the next morning.

The Musk did a final check of armaments. Konatsu assembled his forces and left as soon as the sun set that day. Herb prepared the soldiers. Ranma meditated. The Amazons checked bowstrings and sharpened spears. Everyone prayed. As the dawn broke on the seventh day, the Amazon and the Musk marched to war.

The Phoenix saw the armies approaching from the south, sun glistening off the spears and siege engines from miles away. Attention diverted by the force in front of them, the failed to see a lone figure approaching from the west, and they failed to see a small force of about one hundred climbing the mountain on the east.

* * *

Quick comments – the final chapters are coming up. Thanks to all who read and review, and if you like this story, by all means keep reading! Reviews, questions, comments always welcome. Quick historical note – the Mongols did indeed invade China, Korea, and attempted to conquer Japan in the 13th century. The conquered all of China, and went on to invade the Middle East and parts of Europe, bringing the Black Death to Europe when they arrived. They established the largest empire in human history in an extremely short period of time, stretching from the Sea of Japan and the Pacific to the Mediterreanian. They would have succeeded in conquering Japan if a Typhoon hadn't wrecked a good deal of the invading forces as they attempted to land in Kyushu. At any rate, it was an extremely hard fought battle, and in the end the hordes were driven back to the see, albeit after inflicting massive casualties on the Japanese forces. That is the origins of the word "Kamikaze," or "Divine Wind." The word Kamikaze was made famous for the suicide attacks on U.S. forces during World War II.

Now, to answer some reviews:  
Chaotic-Lord

"Hmm, I think that's a bit lot or lots of to many Phoenix. I mean, that got to be only about 50 mim and 150 max because the mountain is not big enough to hold such huge number. With even magic, surly people would notice it soonl..."

not necessarily. fourty thousand people living underground is does not take up as much space as you would think. Some college campuses house 100,000, and do it in an area much smaller geograhically than the footprint of a mountain. And, using creative liscense, i needed the numbers to make the threat seem plauseable... :)

Jerry Unipeg

"I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! Ranma going to have a big surprise."

Holy S&tballs! I must be doing something right to get Jerry to change from his norm to add some extra! WoW!!! Sorry to poke fun, but thanks for the review. I really am impressed that I got more than the norm on this one. I take that as real encouragement. So again, thank you and keep reading!

Karibanu

"A few spelling errors I noticed ( angle - angel, rouge - rogue ), but the biggest problem I have with this chapter is introducing some of the frivolous Ranma elements into what's turned out to be a pretty serious chapter. Basically, a) the mallet thing, and b) Ryouga's sense of direction as a plot device.  
  
Things appear from nowhere quite often in the Ranma-verse: Ranma pulls clothes out of nowhere, Kuno has unlimited bokkens, Kodachi has a ribbon, Nabiki's camera, Ryouga has bandannas and not least himself: these work in a comedy series because you're not supposed to take it seriously enough to think about mechanics. Ryouga just appears when the plot demands, and conveniently vanishes when he's not needed, and the whole mallet thing ( it's not just Akane ) is a purely visual gag. Unfortunately if you place the elements in something more serious they jar horribly ( you might note Ryouga shows no signs of getting lost in one of the more serious arcs ), and a mallet-shaped ki attack shows a level of control no-one, not even Herb, demonstrates in the series. Really though the mallet gag has no place in anything serious.  
  
I was expecting Akane to show up in China - although I'd rather she didn't for reasons of stifling Ranma's growth - but under her own power; that would have been somewhat more dramatic too, imo.  
  
Anyway, nice to see some bigger politics happening again."

Hm... how to reply to this one. First, thank you for the good review and thank you for pointing out the spelling errors. I always write these chapters between 12 and 6 am, so sometimes I slip up and miss a few homonyms and such... and about points A.) and B.) above, I appreciate your input, even if I have to respectfully disagree. You are right in that this was a serious chapter. But even in the Manga, there was alway either an element of seriousness during the comedic episodes or a comedic element during the more serious events (think the Herb saga, Saffron, etc.). You are right about things appearing as needed to further the not so serious plot - I simply decided to utilize this well established precedent because it needed no explaination, and preserved the elements of the comic that I enjoyed so much, i.e., the comedy and the drama all rolled into one. About the mallet - maybe i didn't explain it well enough. It isn't a mallet of chi - she simply converts a small amount of chi into a physical implement - basically, Ranma gave her access to a hammer space/hidden weapons techinque that anyone could use with the rudimentary control of ki. my fault as a writer for not clarifying. Ranma/Herb/Mousse/Ryoga/Shampoo didn't need anything like that because they had a much better control of ki. OR perhaps, as I would like to think, they did utilize such trinkets - who's to say that Shampoo's hair pins don't serve as a storage device for her bombori and the sword she sometimes weilds?  
  



	20. Paramitas

"Milord!" Kiima fell to one knee as she entered the royal chambers.

"Rise, Kiima. What news does the day bring?" Saffron was currently standing at a window watching the sun rise. He was clad in loose white silks, his wings held loosely outstretched, allowing the sunlight to filter through the feathers. He turned to face Kiima, the light forming a shimmering halo around his body. With his small stature and the innocence inherent to a child's face, he looked like a cherubim. Then he smiled, showing his true nature. A nature that had no regard for life, and because death was not something he feared.

"The Musk and the Amazons have moved sooner than anticipated, Milord. They approach from the south." Kiima stood as she spoke, addressing her liege.

"How many troops do they have arrayed, and what variety of machinery do they employ?" Saffron allowed his wings to curl up onto his back. He walked away from the window, crossing the room to where Kiima stood. He climbed the dais to his throne, standing before the seat as he looked down on his captain.

"Best estimates are thirty-five hundred, Milord. Machinery includes fifteen trebuchets, several towers, fifteen ballista, five catapults, and a full complement of men and supply wagons for each."

"Close to four thousand men total then?"

Kiima nodded.

"What do you suggest, Kiima?"

"Milord. I suggest we send a division to crush them decisively. Soften them with a barrage of long range weaponry, artillery, and incendiary devices, to be followed by a clean up sweep when their forces break."

"Ten thousand men for such a small force?"

"Yes, Milord. I suggest we end this conflict quickly so as to save strength for later campaigns. Plus, it will give the new soldiers much needed experience and morale boost, Milord."

Saffron frowned. "I'd rather we played with them a bit, Kiima."

"Milord? I'm not sure I understand..."

"I want to humiliate them, and let them bleed to death from a hundred tiny cuts. Send two hundred men. No firearms. Keep to the air and out of range of bow shot. Allow them crossbows. Tell the men to aim for officers, if possible. Hunting season is open. Come back in two hours, and we will start the next stage of the attack." Saffron dismissed her with a wave of her hand.

Kiima bowed before backing out of the hall.

* * *

Konatsu began counting as soon as the patrol disappeared around the corner. When he reached thirty, the guard had reappeared, walking in the opposite direction, scanning the area below him. Konatsu's force was well hidden, but the light was steadily increasing, and soon it would be too bright to provide adequate cover for the hundred soldiers under his command. 

Konatsu waited until the guard turned the corner again before signaling the first group to move. In a flash, thirty soldiers materialized out of the rocks and leapt up the mountain, making little sound. They took cover fifty or so meters up the mountain as the sentry returned, completing his rounds. Again the slow count and again more men moved, leaping up the mountainside to join the first group.

Konatsu moved with the last group, joining his men up the slope. They began moving in shifts, fifty men moving up the hill while fifty covered and watched for sentries. Progress was slow, but the early morning start had served them well. Already they had covered more than four-fifths of the distance to the summit. The danger was now that fliers might spot them.

During one of his watching shifts, Konatsu allowed his vision to wander over to the assemble forces below in the valley. The army looked so small from this distance. He could just make out the lines of the soldiers, and the supply wagons for the various siege engines. They were outgunned and outnumbered, and everyone knew it. The Phoenix had fire arms. If the chose, they could simply fly above the armies and rip them to shreds, safely out of range of the bows the Amazons carried.

That was the biggest risk factor in their plan. No one knew how the Phoenix would react. Would they respond with overwhelming force and crush the Musk like a small bug, or simply ignore the threat? The small force the Amazons and the Musk could assemble would not pose a threat to the Phoenix. They all hoped that by moving first, the had been able to buy some time, encouraging only a half hearted response to the threat, instead of overwhelming force.

Konatsu hitched his shoulders, resettling the barrel strapped to his shoulders. So many variables and this was the biggest one of them all. He had one hundred men with him, each carrying a 55 gallon barrel similar to his own. The barrels were packed full of instant powdered Nanniichuan and Nyaniichuan created in a week of madcap night sessions by the Jusenkyou Springs.

The remaining water had been pumped into huge cauldrons, and the ki adepts like Ranma, Herb, and Ku Lon had mixed some salts into the water, and then heated the huge cauldrons with ki. The water flash evaporated, leaving behind only the salts, and hopefully, enough magic to effect a transformation. Ranma's plan had been simple in nature, audacious beyond belief, and completely unexpected.

Konatsu smirked as he moved, remembering how it had been explained. He scanned the skies and quickly bounding up the mountain face in huge leaps, dashing seventy or so meters before finding cover. The idea was to pour enough instant powder into the lake atop Mt. Phoenix to turn it into a giant Jusenkyou cursed spring. Then, with the help of a few explosives and some artfully done Baksaitenketsu's, the whole contents of the lake would be sent into the mountain itself, flooding the Phoenix like a bunch of rats.

Rob them of their ability to fly for a while, and the assembled armies had a chance to take the battle to them. Even if they couldn't win, they might be able to hold the armies at bay long enough for Ranma to take out Saffron. If Ranma failed, he had promised to bring down the mountain itself, killing every thing inside and most likely all the combatants below. Today would be the end of the Musk, the Amazons, and the Phoenix tribes. At least they would die gloriously in battle, as they were meant too.

Konatsu continued to climb until at last he reached the summit. He peaked over cautiously. He wasn't overly concerned by the small force of Phoenix guarding the lake, but he was impressed that the leaders had planned for the remote possibility that someone might try to attack the water supply. It didn't matter. When Konatsu gave the signal, death descended on the crater, killing everything.

The last Phoenix fell with an arrow to the throat before he could even bring his firearm to bear. The men immediately began to strip the bodies and hide them, donning the armor so that any casual observers up high might mistake them for the sentries. There was no need for Konatsu to issue orders. These Musk were his own personal squad, and they knew their mission.

The barrels were opened quickly, and the contents dumped into the lake as a fire team went around the crater planting the seismic charges. Konatsu and a few others circled the lake and began the arduous process of getting beneath the lake. Utilizing the Bakusai Tenketsu technique, they began to tunnel down, following the contours of the lake bed.

After about an hour of digging, Konatsu estimated he was directly beneath the deepest point of the lake. He began to dig down, blasting a hole down to the Phoenix dwelling chambers. He was joined shortly by a second soldier as the two tunnels joined, speeding the process rapidly. More soldiers joined in the fray, switching from blasting with the Bakusai Tenketsu to shovels as they approached what they figured to be the top of the Phoenix quarters.

Konatsu pulled out a simple wooden staff and poked it into the ground. He pulled out a knife and whittled a hole near the top of the staff. Threading a piece of string through the new hole, he tied a simple knot. Gathering his strength, he delivered a sharp, downward palm strike to the top of the staff, sending it shooting into the dirt. It was lost to sight completely, and a small trickle of light filtered up through the hole he had just created. Every one grinned. Konatsu pulled on the string he held, slowly pulling the staff back into the hole. No need to announce their intentions.

* * *

Akane stared out over the valley, entranced by its beauty. She wanted to stay here forever, to let this valley become part of her soul, so that a part of Ranma would always stay with her. She absently began to fiddle with the ring on her left hand. "I should be down there." 

"Did you say something, Akane?" Her musings were cut short by Ryoga's question. She turned to see that he was ready to go. He was tightening the straps to his pack as he spoke, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She turned back to the valley once more, watching the sun rise over the ridge, Mt. Phoenix silhouetted in the early morning light. Down below, she caught the reflection of sunshine off of metal. Was Ranma down in that? It was better not to think of that, though.

"No."

"Ah... Okay... Well, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

Ranma slid past the two guards unnoticed, walking slowly to watch for the various traps that littered the path. He reached the first junction, and quickly consulted his map. He turned, heading deeper into the mountain. He reached the first exit soon enough. The two guards certainly weren't expecting to be attacked from behind. A few lightning fast pressure points later, the sentries were immobilized. He pushed open the door slightly, allowing a lone Amazon to enter. She couldn't see him, of course, but she bowed never the less. With that, the warrior leapt to the ceiling, clinging upside down to wait for the signal from above. Ranma closed the door again before leaving. 

One down, twelve to go. The mountain was impregnable, but that could be used to their advantage. The Phoenix had planned for a massive assault, not for treachery. The Amazons had pointed out the flaw in the design immediately. If you closed all the secondary exits, you forced the enemy to come from the direction you choose. Choosing your own battle was half the victory.

Ranma continued to work his way to the various exits, each time incapacitating the guards and allowing a single Amazon warrior in. It took him about an hour and a half to make it to all the secondary exits. The only one that would remain open was the primary exit high above. By the time the Phoenix figured out what was happening, they'd be at the mercy of the siege engines below.

Now, he needed to find Saffron. He headed up, looking for the royal chambers.

* * *

"Form ranks! Shields and Pikes up front, followed by infantry, the Archers!" Herb whipped his horse around, riding up and down the lines bellowing orders. He had control of the better part of one thousand men, and his father was overseeing the siege engines and cavalry. He hated riding a horse, but it gave him a better vantage point from which to survey the battlefield. 

Herb watched in anxiety as a platoon of Phoenix sallied forth from the entrance high up the mountain's side. Herb sighed in relief as he only counted two hundred fliers. He briefly allowed thoughts of Konatsu to cross his mind before squashing them. He couldn't afford to be distracted right now. They had taken the bait.

"Hold your fire! Prepare for bombardment!" Herb dismounted, and handed his reigns to an aide de camp. He accepted a shield from the same person. He wasn't overly worried about the small number of men, but still, it never hurt to be prepared. Caution would keep him alive.

It only took a few minutes for the Phoenix to cross the distance from the mountain to the assemble armies below. Herb shook his head. They were fast! Any normal army didn't stand a chance against a foe like this, no matter how numerically superior. They moved about as fast as attack copters, were infinitely more maneuverable, and highly trained.

The Phoenix began to circle high above the armies, well out of range of bow shot. The first few crossbow bolts fell silently among the ranks. A soldier to Herb's right took a bolt through the eye. Herb ignored it, cursing the luck. They had to use bolts. "ENHANCED SHIELDS SHEILDS NOW!" He allowed some ki to seep into his voice, booming his command across the battle field. Whether it was intentional or not, the Armies had come to face firearms, not conventional weaponry. That meant their shields were inadequate.

A bullet would loose a lot of force from that high, and by the time it impacted with a shield below, would have lost the necessary power to penetrate because its mass was so small. That was not the case with the quarrels, though. By the time they impacted with the shields, they had enough momentum and inertia to punch through the iron and rend the flesh below.

Herb felt ki begin to permeate the battlefield as the soldiers allowed a little ki to flow into the shield, strengthening it against the attack. The damage had been done, though. By the time the bombardment stopped a couple of hours later, nearly one hundred men had died, and three times that number had been wounded. Herb grinned all the same. They had just lived two hours longer than anyone had expected.

He watched the fliers circle one last time before returning to the mountain. Now, if Konatsu would blow the crater...

* * *

"Milord, the fliers have returned. As you commanded, what shall we do next?" Kiima knelt as she reported. 

Saffron rose from his throne. "I believe I feel like a bath, Kiima. Is everything ready?"

Kiima's eyes lit up. "It is Milord. Shall I call for the food?"

"Oh do. You are so thoughtful sometimes, captain. If you survive the coming migration, remind me to promote you."

"You are too gracious, Milord." She rose after Saffron walked past her out of the chambers, heading towards the lower levels.

* * *

Ranma slipped into the royal chambers only to find them empty. He pulled the blankets to the bed back, not really expecting to find anything, but looking for some clue as to where Saffron might be. He froze as he heard the door open behind him. A servant entered and went to a standing dresser, opening it and pulling out an elaborate garb. Ranma could just make out the servant murmuring about the lord and his transformation. With nothing else to lose, he followed the servant out as he made his way down the mountain.

* * *

Saffron stepped into the bath chamber flanked by Kiima, his advisor and a few servants. Chained to the walls surrounding the area were thirteen Phoenix criminals. He paid them no mind as he descended the steps of the large bath, looking up at the giant Phoenix statue before him. 

"Bring me the Kinjyakan!" His advisor bowed, and turned to servant holding the staff. It was the emblem of the Phoenix royalty, and a powerful artifact in its own right. More importantly, it served as the key to unlock the hot water tap that was the primary function of the Phoenix statue.

The old advisor diffidently held the staff with both hands as he presented it to Saffron, head bowed. The child emperor paid him no mind as he grabbed the staff and commanded, "Leave me."

Kiima cleared her throat. He turned to glance at the woman. "Yes, Kiima?"

"Milord. You shall not be available for three days, correct?"

"That is correct. Once I put the Kinjikan into the Phoenix and turn it, no one should enter here, or they will die. I become quite... hungry during the process. As long as the water flows hot, the process will continue with out interruption. Why do you ask, Captain?"

"How shall we deal with the armies below? I can't allow them to stay there unchallenged..."

Saffron waved his hand dismissively. "I care not. Crush them, if you wish. Better yet, capture as many alive as you can. I wish to feast on their flesh when I awaken."

"As you command, Milord."

* * *

"Akane, we really shouldn't be down here!" Ryoga was frantic. Akane had ignored all his protests, marching towards the field where the armies were. After a while, he had given up. He didn't think he was good enough to knock her out and drag her away, and nothing short of that would change her mind. 

For her part, Akane didn't know exactly what she was doing or why, but she knew she needed to do something. So, she marched right into the Amazon camp, looking for Shampoo. Shampoo was surprised by her appearance, but didn't react like Akane expected.

Shampoo looked her over once before asking, "You wish fight, yes?"

Akane nodded.

"Come, then." Akane followed Shampoo, dragging an increasingly nervous Ryoga behind her. They arrived at a tent filled with various kinds of weaponry and armor. Shampoo began to dig through various piles, throwing a set of chain mail, a shield, and a helmet at Akane. Akane began to put them on, while Shampoo assisted, tightening various buckles and ties to make the armor fit better.

Ryoga was having kittens during the whole process. He began biting his nails as the girls picked out the armor, and nearly shat himself when Shampoo asked what kind of weapon she'd use.

Akane grinned and responded, "I've got my own." She glowed briefly for a second before a large war hammer materialized. Shampoo was delighted. They both turned towards Ryoga.

"You fight too?" Shampoo was pointing at him. Ryoga looked around, just to make sure she wasn't pointing at somebody else. "Yes you, Ryoga. You fight."

Ryoga shook his head violently. He didn't want to. "I just want to keep Akane safe! Ranma asked me too!"

Akane walked up to Ryoga and put a hand on his arm. It was weird to see her dressed in mail. "Ryoga," she said, "I'm going to fight. The only way you can keep me safe is if you join me, or carry me away. You aren't good enough to knock me out, so that only leaves one choice."

"But Akane..."

"No, Ryoga. I'm doing this for more than just Ranma. I can't just leave and let these people die. I don't see how you could, either."

Shampoo walked up holding a battle axe and pike. "Which one you want, Ryoga?"

He sighed. Oh well. If he was going to fight, might as well be intimidating. He reached for the axe.

* * *

Ranma recognized where they were going pretty quickly. He darted ahead of the plodding servant, breaking out into a full sprint as he covered the remaining distance between to the bathing chamber. He slowed as he drew near, hearing voices echoing in the hall. 

"Leave me." That had to be Saffron. Ranma slipped inside, seeing the young boy standing in the middle of the chamber. He was holding some sort of weird staff, staring at the Phoenix statue before him.

A pretty Phoenix woman wearing a breast plate cleared her throat. Ranma slowly began to edge his way around the room, noticing for the first time the various people chained around the perimeter of the room. He was filled with a sense of dread. Why would they be left here like this? Ranma's musings were cut short by Saffron's voice.

"Yes, Kiima?"

"Milord. You shall not be available for three days, correct?" Ranma puzzled over this. Did the transformation take three days to complete?

"That is correct. Once I put the Kinjikan into the Phoenix and turn it, no one should enter here, or they will die. I become quite... hungry during the process. As long as the water flows hot, the process will continue with out interruption. Why do you ask, Captain?"

That explained the prisoners, at least. And what Ranma had to do. He'd only get one chance at this...

"How shall we deal with the armies below? I can't allow them to stay there unchallenged..."

Saffron waved his hand dismissively. "I care not. Crush them, if you wish. Better yet, capture as many alive as you can. I wish to feast on their flesh when I awaken."

"As you command, Milord."

Ranma waited patiently as the group filed out, leaving Saffron alone in the chamber.

"You can come out now, where ever you are. I know you're here, alone, a solitary human. I am impressed that you've come this far, though. What ever technique you are using hides you from my sight, but not from my senses." Saffron sniffed the air. "Male, if I'm correct. Your stench defiles this place."

Ranma paused. Could this little kid have possibly detected him? He watched as Saffron slowly turned around, holding his staff warily in front of him. Ranma silently drew closer, stepping into the bath itself, trying to get a good position from which to strike.

Saffron kept talking, attempting buy time as he searched for the intruder. "The whole army was simply a ploy to distract me from the lone assassin, I take it? Clever. Sometimes I forget how ingenious you humans can be." He lashed out as he finished the statement, flicking the staff towards Ranma's general direction.

To Ranma's surprise, the circular ring attached to the head of the staff flew off at a speed hard even for him to follow, zigzagging through the air, forcing Ranma to duck to avoid being hit. Ranma watched as the ring sliced through the rock wall behind him, not even slowing in the slightest as it turned around and returned to the top of the staff, slamming home with a ringing sound.

Saffron smirked as he bandied the staff before him. "You are more skillful than I had thought. It is truly impressive that you managed to dodge the Kinjyakan... How do you like my little, toy, by the way?"

Ranma was within ten feet of Saffron at this point. Saffron seemed to be able to track Ranma's general direction, so the boy was facing Ranma, his staff held defensively before him, attempting to guard as much of his body as possible. Ranma cleared his mind, lashing out with a cry of "Ki Jin Rai Shu Dan!" Ranma swept his arms back, sending a vacuum blade speeding towards Saffron.

As soon as Ranma cried out, Saffron whipped the Kinjyakan in his direction, forcing him to dodge. He wasn't fast enough, though. He was forced to catch the spinning disk between both hands, trying to keep the cutting edge from his throat. There was an ungodly amount of force behind the weapon, and in the end Ranma's strength gave out before the weapon's inertia did. He stopped fighting, and was thrown against the wall of the cavern. Hard. His vision blurred for second, and his concentration was broken, forcing him to drop the Umi sen ken.

Ranma shook his head, and looked up, to see if his attack had found its mark. It had gone wide, missing its intended target, cutting off Saffron's arm instead of his head. What shocked him was that the child was calmly examining his own severed limb as the ring slammed home in the Kinjyakan.

Saffron ignored the limb as he looked at Ranma. He kicked the arm lying on the ground in a pool of blood. "So I finally see my assailant. You are not Musk, and certainly no Amazon male would be this skilled. A mercenary, perhaps? I must say, I am quite impressed. You will die painfully for the arm, I assure you."

Ranma slowly got to his feet, still a bit shaken from the unexpectedly hard landing. He was in no state to do anything as Saffron's wings swept him into the air. He landed on the head of the Phoenix and inserted the end of the Kinjyakan into a small hole on the statues head, giving it a quarter turn with his remaining arm

Steaming water began to pour immediately from the mouth of the statue, rapidly filling the bath below. Saffron smirked as he watched Ranma get to his feet. He really was impressed that the assassin had managed to block the Kinjyakan with out any obvious injury. It didn't matter. He'd be little more than food as soon as he touched hot water. Saffron stepped off the statue, plunging into the pool below.

Immediately Ranma noticed that something was wrong. As soon as Saffron hit the water, lances of translucent material shot from the child's body, aiming at Ranma and the prisoners chained to the walls. The pained cries of the poor souls were all the warning Ranma needed as he dodged out of the way of the material. It slammed into the wall behind him and instantly hardening into a glass like consistency.

He watched for a second and saw the prisoner's bodies begin to dissolve where the threads made contact. He dodged a thin tendril that shot towards as he moved to get a clear shot. Ranma narrowed his eyes and lashed out with another vacuum blade. It slashed through yet another streamer of material, continuing on until it struck Saffron in the chest, showering the water below with bright blood.

Ranma's smirk was cut short as Saffron started laughing. As Ranma watched, the wound began to close, and in a matter of seconds had been completely healed. Suddenly, an arm shot out of the stump that used to adorn the child's body.

The child's laughter continued echoing around the chamber. Ranma lashed out again, sending a vacuum blade at Saffron's head, slicing the top of it off at the eye brows. Ranma watched in sick fascination as the wounds began to knit before his eyes, and the entire skull had regenerated in a matter of seconds.

"Do you finally understand, Human? I... Can... Not. Die!! You, however, should feel honored to become food for me." Saffron wasted no more time, sending hundreds of lances of fibrous material in Ranma's direction.

Ranma gulped. This was going to suck...

* * *

Konatsu took a deep breath and charged his ki. Out of all the men he brought, Konatsu was the only one capable of the next step. The rest of his troops had evacuated the tunnels, leaving him alone at the bottom. Only a few meters of soil and a few hundred feet of air separated the ninja from the bottom of the lake above him. 

He concentrated for a few more moments, gathering as much ki as he could into his center. When it felt like he could hold no more ki inside his body, he pushed, forcing it to condense, and cramming even more into the newly created space in his center. He repeated this process until the forces inside him threatened to tear him apart.

He could hold it no longer. Konatsu raised his hands into the darkness above him, and released all the pent up ki he held inside him. A huge pillar of ki shot upwards, easily twice the span of his arms in diameter. It vaporized everything in its path, widening the tunnel as it punched through the dirt above, bursting out of the lake.

Konatsu was too tired to move. He took a deep breath and held it as the water rushed to fill the newly created hole. He had time for one thought before the water slammed into his body, crushing him to the ground. He was right. Before the blackness took him, the pain had been much worse than he had imagined.

* * *

The men above watched in awe as the pillar of Ki tore through the surface of the lake, rocketing to the skies. They watched for a moment before the sucking sound of the lake draining brought them back to their senses. The fire teams quickly detonated the seismic charges, causing the mountain to quiver slightly.

* * *

The earth couldn't hold the weight of the water that pressed down. The ceiling of the Phoenix cavern collapsed, and the waters rushed down, sweeping all before the mighty tide.

* * *

The Amazons hiding at the entrances felt and heard the explosions reverberate throughout the mountain. It was an honor to be able to sacrifice themselves for the tribe. If anyone survived this battle, their names would be forever honored. The women wasted no more time. Each turned towards the ceiling they clung to, and with a cry of "Bakusai Tenketsu," jabbed a finger into the rocks.

* * *

Herb watched as Konatsu's pillar of ki shot into the sky, parting the clouds as the power slowly dissipated. At various points along the mountain, clouds of dust rose as the hidden entrances to the mountain were collapsed in on themselves. The fighting hadn't even started, and already twelve Amazon warriors had sacrificed themselves for the cause. He allowed a single tear to fall for the women, and for Konatsu. There would be time for mourning later. He turned to his troops, holding aloft his sword. 

"FORWARD MARCH!!"

A mighty cry rose from the ranks as they marched towards the mountain.

* * *

Inside the mountain, the waters rushed through every passage, slamming inhabitants into the walls as gravity pulled the water down, deeper into the mountain. On the upper levels the deluge began to slow as the lake drained. A small group of Musk dropped through the hole in the ceiling, swords drawn and weapons ready. The few Phoenix who were milling about in a daze fell quickly. A few soldiers escaped, and soon Alarm bells began to ring through out the mountain as the new threat was recognized. 

Kiima groaned as she coughed up the last lungful of water. Around her others hadn't been so lucky. A number of her troops had died in the flash flood, and many of the survivors were shell shocked or injured. A man approached her nervously, wet but otherwise healthy.

A man? Kiima frantically scanned the room. Men. Women. Every person in the room was human. Where had her soldiers gone? "Koruma! Masara! Report!" The man in front of her began to nervously shift on his feet.

"Kiima?"

"Who are you?" Kiima stood, leaning against the wall as she tried to get her feet under her.

"Ah... It's me... Koruma." Kiima examined the man. He was wearing Koruma's clothes, and looked a good deal like him. He had the same fair complexion, spiky brown hair, and fangs.

"Koruma?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"What happened to your wings?"

"Ahh... I was going to ask you that, Captain."

Further talk was cut off as alarm bells began to sound in the upper chambers.

* * *

Ranma was frantically dodging Saffron's threads when a whooshing sound and strong wind began to issue forth from the entrance of the cavern. Saffron was enclosed in some kind of egg, and all of Ranma's efforts to get close enough to hit it had been thwarted so far. The whooshing noise became louder, and a high pitched whistle began to accompany it. 

It sounded almost as if tons of water were rushing down a narrow passage. His mind went into overdrive as the connection was made, leaping out of the way as water blasted into the chamber, slamming into Saffron's egg and launching it against the walls of the cavern. Water began to rapidly fill the chamber, forcing Ranma to leap to the top of the dragon statue to avoid getting wet.

* * *

Kimma cursed as yet another exit was blocked. Reports from the runners seemed to indicate that all the lower exits were similarly disabled. Kiima quickly issued orders for teams to break up and search any lower levels that weren't currently submerged. Any surviving soldiers were to assemble in the main entrance room to and prepare to fight. 

As Kiima ran up the pathways to the upper levels, several thoughts occurred to her. First, with out the use of wings, they had lost their main advantage in mobility. She had never realized just how much time it took to move on foot, having never been forced to cover more than a mile without the use of her wings. They were losing valuable time, something that the Phoenix couldn't afford at this rate.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the Phoenix's entire armory was currently submerged in the lower tunnels. The remaining items were the traditional weaponry, housed in the upper levels because storage space below was at a premium.

Who ever planned this attack had been thorough. They only forgot about one thing, though.

Saffron.

* * *

Ranma grasped the strange pole that stuck out of the top of the dragon's head, hoping to use it to kill his momentum and observe the scene below him. Unfortunately, the pole twisted in his grip, and the dragon began to spew forth water, much as the Phoenix statue next to him was doing. Ranma landed a little less gracefully than he intended, but he was still out of the mess below him. 

Ranma noted that the water spewing from the dragon's mouth was cold, and suddenly realized exactly what this room was. It was, in essence, exactly what Saffron had said it was. It was nothing more than a giant bathroom. Had the situation not been so dire, he would have been highly amused.

He looked at the pole he had been holding in one hand, noting that it had a crescent attached to the top. It looked very similar to the weapon that Saffron had attacked him with earlier. Ranma was willing to bet that it probably function the similarly, too. He gave it an experimental tug, and it pulled free easily enough.

Testing its weight and balance, it was lighter than he expected. But if it really was the partner to the Kinjyakan, then he was willing to be it was probably pretty exceptional. Speaking of which...

Ranma looked down to see that Saffron's egg had cracked a bit. Hmm... On the plus side, those damn threads seemed to stop coming, though. Ranma leapt over to the Phoenix examining the Kinjyakan as he landed. After a few moments, he reached forward to give the staff a turn and hissed as he drew his hand back.

The palm of his hand was blistering and cracking, like he had just put his hand on a hot stove. However, Ranma knew from experience he could put his hands in a fire and come out unscathed, so what ever that thing was, it was hot beyond belief. He tried to open his other hand but couldn't. Puzzled, he looked over and saw that his hand was encrusted in ice, clasped around the handle of the Getsukajya. Well, he might as well use the ice...

Ranma winced as he put his burnt hand on the block of ice, amazed as steam began to escape. So the Kinjyakan was absurdly hot. Ranma fed a little ki into his hand, speeding up the process the healing process as much as he could. Since he couldn't touch that damn weapon, he had to figure out some way of turning off the water.

He was saved the trouble when Saffron landed opposite the weapon on the Phoenix's mouth. Gone was the little child that Saffron had been, replaced instead with a tall man with flowing hair and a vicious snarl. He reached forward and pulled the Kinjyakan from its perch, growling at Ranma.

"You ruined my metamorphosis. I am going to enjoy killing you very much, human."

* * *

Kiima tried her best to hold back the rising panic she felt. More than half the Phoenix armies had been wiped out in the flood, as well as all their fire arms. Spears and swords were being handed out, and there weren't nearly enough bows to go around. Only fifteen thousand men remained, and there was not enough weaponry to equip them all. To make matters worse, they were _men_, not the mighty Phoenix warriors she had trained and fought with. 

The last of the small infiltrating force that had invaded had been dealt with, but not before they caused untold havoc. Those ninety-eight men had made the enemy pay dearly for their deaths, killing down ten times their number and wounding even more. Yet another thing that was beyond her control.

She turned towards the assemble soldier, annoyed that she couldn't fly above the crowd to get their attention. She did the next best thing, which was to stand on the shoulders of her aides, Masaru and Koruma.

She yelled, "LISTEN UP, MAGGOTS! This is Captain Kiima! Did any higher ranking officers survive?" There was a general milling about as the question was repeated back for those who couldn't hear, but no response was made. That effectively made her in charge. She made her decision.

"We've got four thousand troops marching on the mountain as we speak. We may be in bad condition, but we still out number them three to one. All the exits below have either been sealed or are flooded. We need to strike, now. Lord Saffron is transforming, and we have to buy time. Arm yourselves as best you can. We attack in fifteen minutes!"

The crowd began to jostle back and forth as those without weapons scrambled to arm themselves. When the allotted time was over, the armies marched forward towards the great entrance, some still fastening armor as they moved.

Kiima addressed the army again. "Who's ready to die today?"

A throaty cry was ripped froth from the soldiers' lips. "I AM!"

"FOR WHOM DO YOU DIE?" Kiima yelled.

"LORD SAFFRON!

Kiima raised her sword. "CHAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!"

* * *

Herb watched as the first wave of the Phoenix soldiers issued forth from the entrance high above. He was relieved to see that nobody was flying. It had worked. Behind him the sounds of wood creaking and slapping against each other burst forth as the siege engines went to work. The first volley of stones and explosives hung in the air for a few minutes before slamming into the mountain side. 

Death rained down from above, ripping through the ranks of the charging Phoenix. They fell by the scores, but the charge never ceased. By the time the first soldiers arrived on the grassy plain below, though, the numbers had thinned considerably, but still dwarfing the size of the Musk and Amazon armies.

"HOLD THE LINE! ARCHERS, ON MY MARK!" Herb's voice boomed through the fields his ki projected.

* * *

Akane shifted her grip on her maul, noting that Ryoga had done the same with his axe. The Phoenix were running pell-mell down the mountain side, heedless of the destruction happening in their ranks from the siege engines. They heard Herb's voice booming off in the distance, commanding his soldiers to hold the line. The Amazons issued similar orders as their archers began to prepare. At five hundred paces, the archers let loose their first volley. 

They didn't rush, just calmly reset and prepared for the next volley at four hundred fifty paces. The archers were methodical in their coverage, canvassing as much ground as possible until the Phoenix were with in two hundred paces, at which point they were ordered to fire at will. The twang of bowstrings and the screams of the dying filled the air.

"Ryoga?"

"What?"

"If we don't make it, I just want to apologize for dragging you into this."

He grunted.

* * *

Kiima snapped off the arrow that was lodged in her shield arm and kept running. She didn't feel the pain at this point. The lines of the opposing army drew closer, and she slowed just long enough to yell one more time. Her cry was taken up by the other Phoenix as the soldiers picked up speed, crashing into the shields and pikes of the Musk. 

"SAAAAAAFFROOOOON!"

They charged.

* * *

Herb grunted as the first contact was made. The archers would continue to do their job. Now it was time for him to do his. He dismounted off his horse and began to release his aura. Blades of ki leapt from his hands, as Herb marched calmly to the front, leaping over the defenders to fall amidst the Phoenix. No armor could stop his weapons, and the Phoenix fell like wheat before a thresher.

* * *

Akane blocked a sword strike with her shield, bringing her hammer down atop the soldier's head. Blood squirted from underneath his helm as his skull was crushed. She spun, avoiding a blow from another soldier, whipping the hammer around to catch him in the ear. He dropped, his neck bent at a weird angle. She turned to see a sword slash aimed at her exposed neck. She frantically tried to block the blow, knowing that she wouldn't be able to defend in time. 

To her relief a spear took the man in the side, throwing his aim off as the sword glanced off her helmet. Dazed, she brought her hammer to bear only to have Ryoga beat her to the punch. The soldier was cleft in twain by Ryoga's mighty axe. With a sickening squelch he wrenched the weapon free, turning to find his next opponent.

"Thanks, Ryoga."

They didn't have anymore time for conversation as the battle found them again.

* * *

Shampoo snarled. There would be good hunting today. She dropped her bow in favor of a sword as the enemy closed in. Even if she died, she would make her tribe proud today. There was a reason she was the village champion. She charged for the nearest group of Phoenix just as they killed a young Amazon. A few lighting fast attacks later, and the group tumbled to the ground, minus their heads. She stalked off, looking for more opponents. She didn't have to look hard.

* * *

Ranma grimaced as Saffron's fireball blasted him through the wall of the cavern, and out into the sky. He quickly orientated himself in the air, landing lightly on the side of the mountain as he ran up the hill, above the hole his body had just created. As Saffron emerged from the hole, Ranma swung his weapon, slicing his opponent in half diagonally from right shoulder to left hip. 

Saffron snarled as half his body fell away. It regenerated in a flash of fire, but the delay had cost him an opportunity to cremate this pest. Saffron had never been this angry in his life. "Heavenly Annihilation Blast!" Ranma gasped at the size of the blast coming towards him. He attempted to dodge, but there was no way to completely get clear of the massive ball of fire. Its outer edge slammed into him as he held the Getsukajya tightly to his chest.

Saffron smirked as he watched his foe get consumed in the inferno. His smirk turned to a frown as he heard a groan from the crater.

Ranma groaned as he sat up. By all rights, he should be dead, and he knew it. He glanced at the weapon that he held. He knew it had absorbed enough heat to keep him alive. Ranma shot up as he saw Saffron preparing another blast. The cat in Ranma's head was snarling in pain, fear, and rage.

Ranma embraced it.

* * *

Saffron was preparing another blast when Ranma vanished. He immediately figured it out when he fell to the ground, diced into tiny pieces. 

Ranma watched in dismay as Saffron regenerated yet again. "How many times do I have to kill you?" He proceeded to cut Saffron to pieces again, utilizing the Neko-ken. Nothing worked. Ranma had used every trick in his arsenal, and nothing could put this guy down.

Ranma dodge another fireball. Maybe this guy really was invincible, but Ranma refused to believe that. Unleashed on the world at large, nations would be powerless to stop this kind of power. With the amount of heat this guy was packing, Ranma had to stop him.

Wait a second... Heat?

* * *

Saffron snarled as the human drew near, lashing out with punishing blows that severed limbs or broke bones. He was startled when the human began talking. 

"So, um Saffron? Why are you out to conquer the world and all?" Ranma dodged around Saffron's punch, taking the arm off at the elbow. He tried to hide his dismay as it grew back before the pain even registered.

"DIE!!!"

"But that's not what I asked! I wanted to know why you're doing this." Ranma swept low, taking out Saffron's legs with the business end of the Getsukajay, taking off both legs at the knees. Of course, before Saffron could fall, his limbs had grown back.

"Come on, Saffron! You can tell me! Where like best buddies by now, aren't we? After all, who else knows you inside and out?" Ranma proved his point by lashing out with ki claws, slicing Saffron's body into ribbons.

But as quickly as the damage was done, it was repaired in a burst of flames. Ranma took note, documenting everything that was occurring. Ranma was ready for anything Saffron threw at him, but he wasn't expecting an answer.

"Many eons ago I cursed a god with my dying breath. His punishment was for me to never die until there was nothing left on this earth." He threw two fireballs at Ranma, who was forced to jump into the sky to avoid them, only to be caught by a third attack.

Ranma landed lightly, even though the blast had stung. He didn't get a lot of time to recuperate as Saffron followed up his attack. Weaving through the blows, he asked, "Surely, there has to be some other way. What was this god's name, anyway?"

"Manjusri. Now, DIE!!!" Saffron tore off a wing and threw it at the infuriating human. It followed Ranma like a homing missile, trailing flame in its wake. Ranma ran, working in a spiral as he led the projectile back towards Saffron. He jabbed the Getsugajya into the ground at every step, freezing the earth below him.

The spiral tightened as Ranma kept his cool. Finally, he was within Saffron's guard as the wing continued to follow. He twisted out of the way at the last moment, forcing Saffron to catch the wing and lash out with a fist.

Ranma smirked. He lashed out a cry of "HI RYU SHO TEN HA!!!!"

* * *

Herb had noticed bright lights flashing on the back of the mountain for a while, and apparently he wasn't the only one. Several soldiers had turned to look when a giant tornado sprang up in a clear sky. 

"Ranma..."

* * *

Saffron flared his flames, fighting to maintain control in the vortex. His opponent was nowhere to be seen. How had this happened? Where had this tornado come from?

* * *

Ranma was still on the ground, safe from the effects of the tornado as long as he kept cool. He was currently having a discussion in his head. 

"Do you really think that would work?" The cat's tail twitched. "You're right. What have we go to loose?"

With that, Ranma allowed his ki to fluctuate a bit, just enough to get sucked up into the giant twister he had created.

* * *

Saffron found his opponent, or rather, his opponent found him. Saffron was busy regenerating yet another limb as the storm raged around them. When he regenerated, he turned to face Ranma. 

"Tell me your name, human."

"Saotome. Ranma Saotome."

"Prepare to die, Ranma Saotome."

"Get a new line already. I've only heard that twenty times by now." Ranma stopped smirking as the heat aura Saffron stated generating grew to the size of a hot air balloon.

* * *

Ranma watch with a little trepidation. There was no guarantee that this would even work – he'd never tried anything like this before. Ranma began to gather his own ki, pulling it into his body and concentrating, dropping the temperature around him noticeable as he began to pull energy out of the air. 

Ranma was ready. The only problem was he couldn't see exactly where his opponent was for this size of aura that Saffron was generating. As the tornado whipped across the mountain, Ranma lashed out with the Getsukajya and snagged a loose boulder. The weapon immediately froze the rock, and Ranma hurled it into the center of the ball, roughly where he estimated Saffron to be. He was rewarded by sudden surge of energy as Saffron released his final assault. The boulder melted instantly in the onslaught, but it provided the fraction of a second that Ranma needed.

"Hi Ryu Hyo To Ba!" Ranma unleashed all the tightly focused energy into a lance of swirling frozen air, and imbibed it with as much power as he could. Into that he laced the very elemental ki signatures necessary to for the claws of the Neko-ken, giving the smaller twister a bite like never before. The concentrated energy blasted through Saffron's larger area attack, slamming into his chest with the force of small nuclear explosion. He was instantly torn apart, the claws ripping his body apart at the elemental level, and the frozen energy sucking all the heat from the particles.

Of course, all the energy that Saffron had generated was still traveling along its intended path. Ranma didn't have a chance to celebrate as the world exploded.

* * *

The combatants on the field were knocked flat from the concussive force of the blast. Most of Mt. Phoenix had simply ceased to exist, vaporized in an instant. The battle ceased as silence reigned over the battle field. The Phoenix began to run, sensing on some level that that explosion was the demise of their lord and leader. They ran, heading for home, caring more about those that might still be alive inside the mountain than for the battle they had lost. 

The Amazons and Musk cheered as the Phoenix broke. A surprisingly low number of soldiers were running away from the battle. Ku Lon held back her tears as she gently closed Shampoo's unseeing eyes. She had died like a true Amazon, surrounded by her fallen foes. Shampoo was only one of many, but Ku Lon suffered all the more knowing that. Akane, her arm bandaged in a sling and a spear haft still protruding from her leg, has dragging a profusely bleeding Ryoga to find medical attention.

Herb merely sat on the ground, watching as Mt. Phoenix began to crumble before his eyes. He was too numb to decide who to mourn first – Konatsu or Ranma.

* * *

The two Musk soldiers were flattened in the explosion, making them drop their precious cargo. They quickly picked themselves up, and glanced back at the mountain they had left not too long ago. The mountain was gone. Both men looked at each other before shrugging. They could worry about the mountain later. They needed to find a healer first. They put the litter back on their shoulders, and began marching home.

* * *

Each step that Akane brought was torture, but she just gritted her teeth and kept walking. Herb, Ku Lon, and Herb's father accompanied her as they surveyed the site of Ranma's battle, hoping to find any sort of evidence about the outcome. Nobody entertained any illusions, though. 

Tears began to leak from Akane's eyes unbidden. She closed them, tilting her head back to keep them from falling. When she opened them again, she looked up into the sky to see a small bird high in the air, a black dot against the clouds. She frowned. Something about it tickled her subconscious...

"Herb?"

"Yes, Akane?"

"What's that?" She pointed. It was much easier to see now; having grown in size till it was about double of its previous size.

"I'm not sure, but what ever it is seems to be heading this way, fast."

Worried glances were exchanged all around. With a sigh, they began to loosen their weapons. The speck revealed itself fairly quickly to be a human figure, falling from the sky at terminal velocity. It crashed to the ground just over the ridge where they were standing. Herb offered Akane a hand as they climbed the hill.

Below them was the strangest scene. A small crater lay in the middle of a scattered field of bright white flecks of material. The only sound that could be heard was the wailing of a baby, coming from the general vicinity of the crater. As one, the group moved to investigate.

* * *


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Now we cut to breaking news; a large explosion of unknown origin has been reported in Tsinghai, China. So far the details surrounding the event remain unclear, and experts on all sides are scrambling to understand what has happened. Munitions experts and seismologist are claiming that the explosion was man-made in nature, the result of an illicit weapons testing program. Beijing has issued categorical denials, claiming that the explosion was caused by natural phenomenon.

At precisely 2:14 p.m. today, seismographs across Japan were triggered by a large explosion in Western China, nearly 4000 kilometers away. The American Central Intelligence Agency has confirmed a large explosion triggered seismographs in San Francisco, charting an energy pattern previously unseen, but atypical of conventional weapons. Judging by the strength of the seismographs collected in Japan and California, and the damage to the mountain, experts calculated that the explosive yield was roughly 112 terajoules, roughly 25 more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

A satellite photo from the area in question shows that the explosion leveled a mountain and destroyed a large swath of surrounding forest, leaving only a large crater where the mountain used to be. Unfortunately, heavy smoke cover has obscured the area from further photography, but pictures taken in the infrared spectrum have shown several large fires burning in the area. The small size of the blast puzzled scientist who estimated a much larger yield was necessary to obliterate a mountain that size. Also, there have been no gamma rays nor have any radioactive particles been detect as a result of the explosion, two events traditionally associated with a nuclear detonation.

China has denied a report alleging it has resumed underground weapons testing, in violation of the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. China pointed out that the treaty was never been ratified, and emphatically denied that any testing was taking place. Beijing claims that the explosion was meteoric in origin. Experts dismiss China's claim, citing that there was no evidence of a meteor entering the Earth's atmosphere earlier today large enough to generate the explosive force necessary. Also, weapons specialists noted that the lack of dust and debris from the explosion is further evidence that this was a man made explosion, not a natural phenomenon.

These troubling facts has convinced many that China has indeed discovered a new type of low radiation, high yield, high damage explosive device, that some scientist have dubbed an "anti-matter" bomb. The Prime Minister has flown to China to meet with members of the Politburo, hoping to conduct high level talks to forestall any possible arms races in Asia. The United States Secretary of State has pressed to be included in the talks, citing national security concerns and non-proliferation agreements.

The United Nations is also concerned about the recent event, calling into question China's suitability for membership in the organization in light the weapons testing accusations. Predictably, Beijing has been quite upset with the U.N.'s proceedings, and recently issued a statement that the explosion should have no relevance in regards to China's standing in the organization.

We will keep viewers updated as more news develops.

In local news, the search for Tendo Akane continues. It has been two weeks since she disappeared without a trace after school. Authorities have created a toll free hotline for anonymous tips, and encourage anyone with useful information to phone immediately. Any tips that lead to finding the girl are eligible for a reward. The number is posted on the bottom of the screen. Again, if you have any news about this girl or might have seen her at any point since her disappearance, the authorities urge you to call immediately.

Now for something a little lighter; The local zoo in Chiba prefecture got a new occupant today, as the baby panda, affectionately nick-named the 'mysterious horse,' arrived from..."

Nabiki turned off the news. She had hoped that the television would have been able to take her mind of her little sister's disappearance, but they just kept running the same dumb stories, not talking about the things that mattered. The events in China were interesting, but the talking heads had nothing new to say, and Nabiki's worries came crashing back.

Akane was still missing. Almost two weeks ago she had come home from school, and suddenly disappeared. It was possible that she had run away, but considering that none of her clothes were missing, no money had been taken from her room or bank account, and her bags were still here, the police had ruled that it was unlikely.

They checked anyway, on Nabiki's insistence. She had told them about her sister's fiancée who had left for China just a week before. Airline travel records were search, but no tickets had been issued under any of the various names that she might have traveled under. Stumped for leads, they had begun investigating the possibility of either foul play or abduction. All the hospitals and morgues in the metropolitan area were checked for unidentified patients or bodies. Nothing turned up locally, so they gradually began to widen the search, airing Akane's picture on the evening news along with the toll free hotline. The case had created a sensation, and the hotline had been flooded with calls from well-wishers, but not one useful piece of information had turned up.

The police were trying to narrow down the list of suspects for a possible abduction case, but there were just no clues and no leads. Those who had a motive, like Akane's various admirers, check out clean with rock solid alibis. Ranma, Konatsu, and Herb's travel records clearly showed that they had left the country much earlier. The police were checking ever angle, and Nabiki couldn't help but be impressed with their thoroughness. But Nabiki was good at reading people, and judging by the way the detectives on the case muttered and scratched their heads, things didn't look very promising.

Soun had surprised the family, though. Nabiki had expected him to become a blubbering wreck when they discovered Akane's disappearance. Oh, he had cried alright, but he refused to lose another family member, assisting the police as much as possible. He started funneling all his grief and frustration into activities, opening the Dojo to students again and attending city council meeting, and above all, working tirelessly to find his daughter. All in all, his daughters approved of the change, but wished the cost weren't so high.

Nobody had given up hope, but it just seemed so unlikely that anything would ever be found. Had Akane been alright, she would have called by now. It was possible she was in a location without a phone, but that was next to impossible in Japan. That meant she was dead, severely injured, or captive.

Nabiki couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, the events on the TV and Akane's disappearance were linked. A silly as the notion was, it refused to leave her. Maybe she was just hoping too hard, looking for something, no matter how small, to reveal her sister to her. Nabiki looked at the information the detective had left with her. She knew the contents inside and out, but she opened the booklet one more time and began reading.

Kasumi came in the living room, carrying a tray of tea and some snacks. She knelt beside her sister, placing the tray on the table and wordlessly wrapping Nabiki in a hug. Nabiki responded, wrapping her arms around her older sister as they held each other for a few minutes.

When the hug ended, Kasumi turned to tray. Nabiki used the distraction to surreptitiously wipe her eyes with her sleeve, accepting the cup of tea Kasumi passed with a smile and a nod. The two merely sat side by side, enjoying each other's presence as the tea cooled.

Kasumi looked over at the booklet in Nabiki's hands. "The Police Academy, Nabiki?"

The younger girl shrugged. "It was... Just a thought, you know? They've been so helpful, and professional... I just..." She sighed. "I'd do it too, if I thought I'd be any good at it. I feel like it would be worth it if I could prevent just one family from having to suffer like we are..."

Kasumi simply hugged her again. "Nabiki, having noble thoughts?"

That caused Nabiki to chuckle, which in turn set Kasumi to laughing. It became infectious, and before long they were clutching each other and laughing. The laughter gave way to tears, and the two sisters hugged each other tightly as the tears faded away. They felt guilty enjoying having laughed, but by the same token reminded them of how long it had been since laughter had last been heard in the house.

Kasumi reached up and gently wiped away a tear from Nabiki's face. "I bet you'd be one of the best detectives ever, Nabiki."

"Damn right I would be." She smirked as she reached up to hold Kasumi's hand against her face. "And if they don't find her, I will. I promise."

The search for survivors began as the groans of the injured and dying could be heard on the battle field. Healers moved through the blood soaked ground, flanked by orderlies and non-combatants bearing stretchers. The healers were looking for those too injured to move under their own power before shock set in. Unfortunately there were just too many injured, forcing the medical staff to make decisions about who could be saved, and who would simply be comforted as they died. If they found someone who could be helped, they would be loaded on a stretcher and carried to the medical tent. Otherwise, they would be offered some kind words, a drink of water, and company as life expired.

At one edge of the battle field the surviving Phoenix army knelt on the ground, hands tied behind their backs and feet bound together. They were under the guard of a mixture of Amazon and Musk soldiers. All together, about two thousand Phoenix soldiers had survived, but their spirits and wills had been shattered. They were huddled together under the watchful eyes of their guards, not caring about their fate. Those who hadn't run when the battle ended had simply thrown down their arms and surrendered.

The war had been especially deadly for the bird people, as only those who had been on the battle field survived. They had been poorly equipped to fight as a result of the flood, and had been slaughtered in droves by the bombardment of the siege engines. Those who had made it to the battle were quickly cut down by the well armed opposition. But what the Phoenix had lacked in arms they had made up for in numbers.

The Amazons and Musk had suffered greatly, too. While not nearly as devastated as the Phoenix, over two thirds of those who had marched to war that day did not return. The battle taken its toll, as the many warriors had fallen to a combination of exhaustion and sheer numbers. Unlike the Phoenix, though, they had homes to return to, with families, husbands, and wives to waiting to when the day was over. The blast that had claimed Mt. Phoenix had completely eradicated the almost the entire race, with the last survivors currently under guard. With no leader and no home, they were lost, completely dependent upon the mercies of the victorious armies.

What had really turned the tide of the battle were the few warriors for the Musk and the Amazon who stood head and shoulders above the normal soldiers. Herb was one, as was his father. Shampoo, the late champion, had been another. Before she had died, she had taken as many as five hundred enemies out single handedly, using the last of her strength to cut through a knot of Phoenix who had armed themselves with bows.

Herb, for his part, had been a force of nature. Grief and rage had fueled his battle, and his weapons knew no match. Whole legions had perished before his wrath as he had fought with utmost abandon. He would unleash tightly focused burst of ki in waves, cutting everything around him to ribbons. Even his own soldiers had been terrified by the way he tore through the ranks of the enemies. He left no wounded behind, only the dead.

Herb's father had just as deadly. He didn't have the martial arts background his son possessed, but had an even greater store and control of his ki. He had taken to the skies early in the fight, raining down death and destruction upon the Phoenix armies. No one had escaped his attacks. Those who attempted to fight were blow apart, and those who attempted run where incinerated.

For the Amazons, Ku Lon had led the charge, fighting with all the skill and lethality that three hundred years of training could impart. Ki enhance staff strikes were more lethal than any sword because no armor was impervious. Mousse, a lowly male, had also been instrumental, showering the opposing ranks with deadly projectiles and creating obstacles that became deathtraps for the Phoenix.

The battle had ended with the destruction of the mountain. Some ran, some surrendered, but all the combatants knew it was over. Only a few knew what had caused it, but the tide had turned, and it quickly became a rout.

The captured soldiers were put to work preparing the bodies for the pyres. The task was monumental. A good many had been incinerated when the mountain blew, but that still left a good ten thousand or more bodies to deal with. The prisoners separated the bodies by race, loading them into a cart and dragging them to the cremation grounds. The huge stockpiles of wood that the Amazons had prepared before hand were put to use, laid out in large grids on top of which the bodies were piled.

With so many dead, it was impossible to burn them all at once, so the fires had already started. The bodies were stacked a hundred or so high before being doused in fat. A priest would say a prayer for the dead, and throw on a torch. All across the field various pyres burned, some dying down as the fires consumed their contents, others still billowing blackly as the flesh within was burnt away. The fires would burn for days. The stench of burning flesh was overpowering as it drifted on the wind, causing anyone down wind to wretch.

Ranma had quite a good deal of time to think as he flew through the air. The Getuskajya had disintegrated in his hands when Saffron's blast had hit. The energies had overwhelmed it, ultimately causing the artifact to fail, but not before it had weakened the blast enough to force it to detonate. The explosion had launched Ranma through the sky, high, high above the earth.

He floated in and out of consciousness, fighting to stay awake. The sky was bright blue and the earth receded below him. He could see the curvature of the earth, the horizon stretching far in the distance. Unbidden, images flashed through his mind. He recalled the first time he was thrown to the cats, the fear he felt, the pain, and the betrayal. He closed his eyes, and the images disappeared. He could feel the wind rushing past his skin as he was propelled higher. The air was thin and his lungs burned.

He recalled the first sermon he ever heard. "Does the dog have the Buddha nature?" Ranma frowned, feeling his skin pull as the muscles contracted. Did he ever have a dog? No, that wasn't right. What was the answer again? Oh yeah, Mu.

The character sprung fully formed to his mind as her remembered drawing it with a brush as a young child. The calligraphy master had made him write two characters over and over again, the other being the word for sword. The master would simply stare at his two characters, and bade Ranma to return in a few years time. He had, and again drawn the two. The old man had remarked that his art had come along, but that his mind was still lacking. Ranma hadn't returned a third time as he had been bidden, because he had come to China. But thinking back on the experience, he thought he could see what the master had been talking about.

His first sword had been harsh, strong, and bold, a reflection of how he had felt about himself at the time. He had been a warrior, swift and deadly, regardless of what implement he held. His other character had been just that – a character. It was pretty enough, drawn correctly and with the proper attention to detail, but it didn't represent anything.

When he had returned later, Ranma noted some obvious improvements. His sword was better. The character mu finally formed some meaning in his mind. When he left, he was shown a scroll by his master, a large scroll done in bright red ink that was almost eight feet by four feet in size. On it was emblazoned the character that Ranma had been trying to write. It was perfect. His teacher had truly been a master. Ranma realized what the old man had been trying to tell him. As a warrior develops, he reaches a stage where he becomes deadly with any weapon. After a while, he himself becomes the weapon, an unstoppable force of nature. Finally, the warrior places his weapons aside, as there is no more need.

Peace.

Images of Konatsu flashed in his mind, from their first meeting when they fought to washing dishes together. He followed those thoughts, watching in fascination as they played out. He watched as they underwent Jusenkyou, the Bakusai Tenketsu training, being captured by Lime and Mint, and camping trips with Herb. The way that Konatsu and Herb would moan as they enjoyed each other, or yell as they sparred.

Compassion.

Thoughts of Herb sent his mind reeling on another tangent. He remembered Herb's anger at Lime and Mint over their capture so long ago. He remembered that first banquet and the glorious dresses they had been given. Ranma still had his somewhere, and she knew that Konatsu had worn hers on the honeymoon. Wait she? Ranma felt his form shift, and suddenly she was female. That was better.

Images continued to parade through Ranma's mind, images of training and austerities, and the pleasure that came from simple things like food and sex. He watched in fascination as those thoughts triggered a whole series of images about the first time he/she discovered masturbation, then images of Akane.

Love.

Sensations continued to bombard Ranma. She opened her eyes, and noted that she had stopped ascending. The sky was darker now and stars were visible above her. The cosmos stretched before her in a mighty tableau, overwhelming in its vastness and yet it if she but reached out, she could grasp the whole of it in her hand. She seemed to hang suspended in the heavens for a second before gravity reasserted its hold, pulling her back to earth. The earth receded even as she fell, until it became nothing but a pin prick in her eyes. She reached out and cupped the small orb in her hand, feeling the weight of it as it started to rapidly grow larger. She felt her stomach rise into her throat, and watched in fascination as the earth seemed to expand exponentially.

She closed her eyes again, and the earth disappeared. A long forgotten conversation came to her mind. Shinran had mentioned an ancient master, Master Tosotsu. What was the first question? Where is your true nature? Did he know?   
Ranma shook his head and opened his eyes. The earth had drawn no nearer in that time. Had time passed? He was unsure. Had he become male again? Yes he had. No, she hadn't. The thoughts passed.

Something else about Tosotsu, though... Freedom from birth and death lay in grasping one's nature. If then, one's eyeballs have dropped dead, how can one be free from life? Was it because he had a dog?

The world stretched before her, but yet strangely seemed to be still. Again thoughts came unbidden. One instantly knows where to go after death, right? So, if being dead and the body dispersed into the four elements, where then does one go?

Ranma couldn't feel that she was falling any more. Nothing seemed to move. She couldn't feel the wind, she couldn't feel. Time was endless, neither going forward or backward at that moment.

The fight with Saffon sprang unbidden in his mind, interspersed with recalled memories. When had she become he? It didn't matter. Who had cursed Saffron?

"Ranma, let me tell you a story."

Was that Shinran's voice?

"When Manjusuri found that the Buddha' gathering was adjourned and each person was going back to his/her land, he observed one woman still deep in meditation near Shakyamuni. Manjusuri properly bowed and asked Shakyamuni Buddha, "That woman has been able to reach that state of Enlightenment and why have I not?"

"Who was Manjusuri, Shinran?"

Ah, Ranma, how could you not know Fudo Muyo, the one of immoveable faith and the greatest of the five great kings?"

"Forgive me, Shinran. I simply did not know the other name."

"HA! For the Bodhisattva who binds demons with his rope and cuts through ignorance with his sword? He must have missed with you!"

Ranma blushed. Shinran continued.

Shakyamuni replied, "Bring her from the Samadhi and ask her yourself!"

Manjusuri walked around the woman three times and snapped his fingers, unable to bring her out of her meditation. He held her high up in his hand and brought her to the first of three meditative heavens, totally detached from any lust, and exhausted all his mystical powers in vain. Observing this, Shakyamuni said, "Even a hundred thousand Manjusuri could not awaken her from Samadhi. There resides Avidya Bodhisattva, the lowest of all, below this place past twelve hundred million lands. He alone can raise her from her deep meditation." No sooner had the Shakyamuni spoken than that Bodhisattva sprang up out of the earth, bowed and paid his homage to Shakyamuni. By Shakyamuni order, Avidya snapped his fingers. Instantly the woman came out of meditation and stood up.

Ranma closed his eyes again, and could feel the wind whipping through his clothes. He noticed for the first time how cold it was, and how much the air hurt his burnt skin. Why had he not noticed before?

Poems came to his mind as he watched the world rush in.

Under blue sky, in bright sunlight,   
One need not search around,   
Asking around what Buddha is,   
is liking the stolen goods in one's pocket and declaring oneself innocent.

To instantly realize is to see endless time.

Endless time is this very moment.

If one sees through the thought of this very moment,

At this very moment, one can see through the one who sees through.

If you are awakened, all things are one and the same,   
If you are not awakened, all things are varied and distinguished.   
If you are not awakened, all things are one and the same,   
If you are awakened, all things are varied and distinguished.

What is the Buddha?   
The mind is the Buddha.

Once upon a time when Shakyamuni Buddha was in Grdhrakuta mountain, he twirled a flower in his finger and held it before his congregation. Everyone was silent. Only Maha Kashapa wholeheartedly smiled. Buddha said, "I have the eye of the true teaching, the heart of Nirvana, the formless form, the mysterious gate of Dharma. Beyond the words and beyond all teachings to be transmitted, I now pass this on to Maha Kashapa.

At that moment, he understood. His senses functioned according to their respective sensory organs. These in turn influenced his mind. His mind perceived nothing until the moment it received the senses. In a sense, nothing existed until he acknowledged it. Things are just as they are. Ranma could remember exactly what it felt like when he saw Shakyamuni holding that flower before him.

His mind was beyond himself now. He watched the world approach with growing trepidation. Just because he would be able to put the impact beyond himself didn't mean it wouldn't hurt. His eyes closed slightly as he slipped into a meditative trance.

Herb bent down to pick up one of the fragments of white material adorning the crater floor. He turned it over in his hands, clearly puzzled.

"What is it, Herb?"

"It... I think it's an egg shell, Ku Lon." The Amazon Elder closed her eyes, clearly puzzled. The group hastily made its way down the crater's edge, Herb helping Akane maintain her balance as she hobbled along.

The baby had stopped crying by the time the party arrived at the center of the crater. Ranma's body lay curled protectively around the infant, his arms sheltering the boy from the harsh glare of the sun. Ranma's shirt was open, and the baby was tuck inside its folds, swaddled as best he could in the red silk.

Ranma wasn't breathing.

Akane immediately started CPR while Herb and Ku Lon fell to their knees, looking for injuries. Herb handed the infant to his father before he began to compress Ranma's chest while Akane force air into his lungs, listening for a pulse. Saffron began to wail as the group continued their attempts for half an hour. Eventually Ku Lon forced them to stop. It was no use trying to revive the dead.

Herb gently laid Ranma's body on the pyre. Akane had washed the body, and Herb had helped her wrap it in linen. The assemble group simple stood for a while in quite contemplation as Ku Lon lit a torch. She passed it to Akane, who nodded and wiped tears from her eyes. She placed a lingering kiss on Ranma's lips before tossing the torch on the wood. The flames leapt up quickly. Maybe they had been inured to the scent of burning flesh, but afterwards everyone claimed they could only smell burning sandal wood.

Herb allowed his grief to overwhelm him on the ride back to the palace. His horse knew the way home, walking with out guidance as Herb's body was racked with sobs. His father rode along side, reaching out to rub the prince's back as he convulsed.

Herb staggered to his room, exhausted and blinded with tears. He was too tired to summon any ki to light his way, placing the lantern on the night table as he crashed on the bed.

"OWWW!"

Herb hadn't made that sound. He looked at where the sound had come from, only to see the other side of the bed was occupied. The figure was in a full body cast, the only visible flesh was the tip of the nose and the mouth.

"Umm... I hate to ask you this, but could you scratch my nose? Please?"

Herb knew the hospitals were crowded, but this was ridiculous. "I'll call a nurse."

"But you're the only one who can scratch this itch, my dragon."

Something about that voice...

"Konatsu?"

"In the flesh. Or, in a cast, anyway. OWWWWWW!! Don't hug me!!! OWWWW!!!! Stop it, AAAHHHH Don't shake the bed, you dolt!!!"

Three years later:

The cold November air made Akane want to pull her shall tightly around her neck as she walked along the temple grounds, clad in a kimono. Unfortunately both hands were currently occupied. Her left arm was holding her two year old son to her hip, and her right hand was clutching Saffron's as the walked towards the step. Her whole family was here for the occasion, including Herb and Konatsu who were visiting from China. Ryoga would have been here to help if he hadn't gotten lost again. Oh well. He'd turn up eventually.

Ryoga had saved her life many times that day, and had never asked for anything in return. He had always been a great friend and a great comfort in the years following Ranma's death. The other day he had proposed and confessed to her that he had loved her for a long time, but never had the courage to ask. She was... unsettled, but not altogether surprised. Nabiki had commented that the boy had it bad for her, but she had never believed. She told Ryoga that it was still too soon after Ranma's death to think of anyone else, but when she was ready, she'd let him know. It wasn't what he was hoping for, of course, but more than he expected.

Kasumi was walking with Tofu while Nabiki was haggling with some venders near the shrine entrance about some chitose candy. Soun just hung back, overwhelmed by the group but clearly proud of his family. Everyone was dressed in their finest silks, donated to the family from Herb. Akane, as Ranma's widow, had inherited his belongings, including the wealth he had accumulated in China. In addition, the survivors of the war had donated a considerable amount of money and materials as condolences as thanks for Ranma's part in the battle.

Akane had adopted the child very soon after the battle. Akane had waited until Saffron had been old enough to travel before returning to Japan. She had wanted to return earlier, but had been advised against it. Ku Lon wanted her to have her second baby in the Amazon village, of course, but Akane wanted her family to experience it with her. The extra wealth had been useful, of course. It allowed Akane to stay at home with her children as she took correspondence classes to finish her education. At the same time, it paid for Kasumi's nursing program and helped Nabiki concentrate more on the Police Academy work than hustling for money.

She would have traded it in an instant just to have Ranma back. She had cried every day for months after he first died. Having the baby Saffron around had given her something to do, besides train and mourn. When she found out she was pregnant with Ranma's child she had cried even harder, and at the same time, been relieved. If she couldn't have Ranma, at least she could have some part of him.

Akane was used the idea now, but when she had first come back she nearly had a miscarriage when she learned of Nabiki's plans to be a cop. Her blackmailing, bet taking, scheming, conniving sister doing police work? It couldn't be true. But Akane had to agree that Nabiki was perfect for detective work – she knew all the tricks, and if she didn't know one, would learn it fast. Plus, her attention to detail and steel trap mind made her a formidable investigator. On top of that, Nabiki seemed to genuinely love the work.

Saffron pulled his hand free to run over and pester his favorite aunt and uncle. Konatsu laughed as the little boy wrapped his arm around the ninja's leg, trying to hold on as Konatsu walked. Rather than shake the boy off, Konatsu simply let him hang on, ignoring the weight.

Konatsu was in male regalia, while Herb was dressed as in female garb. Not that she had much of a choice, of course. Six months pregnant, it was amazing that she could even fit into a gown, much less have the energy to accompany Akane on during the festival. Akane remembered quite clearly how she had felt at that stage. Between the heartburn, the swelling, and leaking breasts, she had felt like a fat disgusting pig. Then again, that might have been because she had gone on an ice cream binge of epic proportions around that time, too.

They were here for the Shichi-go-san festival, a festival that occurred on the 15th of November to pray for the health, success, and well being of young boys and girls. Boys visited on their third and fifth years, while girls visited on their third and seventh. Today was Saffron's day for celebration. He might be too young to understand, but he was happy enough, glad to have a chance to get his dress clothes dirty. His younger brother Kaoru would be visiting next year.

Akane let out an exasperated sigh as the Saffron let go of Konatsu and began running towards the basin that held the water. She picked up her pace. It wasn't easy to run in a kimono, but she did her best. She grabbed the little boy's hand before he could pick up a ladle and start splashing water everywhere. For some reason the kid just had a fascination with water.

Konatsu chuckled as he watched Akane kept Saffron from terrorizing the other patrons at the shrine. She began to demonstrate to Saffron the right way to use the ladles. They washed their hands in the cold water before taking a small sip, swishing it in their mouths, and discretely spitting it out, shielding the action with a hand. That done, the little bundle of energy took off down the stone path, running with a child's abandon.

Akane just sighed. She caught Konatsu's amused smirk and turned on him. "Oh, don't worry, Konatsu. You'll have one of your own soon enough. You'll understand." Konatsu held up a hand to fend of her anger, hiding a smile. Herb looked pleased at the prospect of a little bundle of terror running around causing havoc. Who knew the dragon prince was so... so matronly?

By all rights Konatsu knew he should be dead. The only reason he had lived was because some musk soldiers had disobeyed his orders to fight to the death, taking his crushed body down the mountain when the fighting had broken out. The convalescence had been... quite painful. Practically every bone in his body had been smashed when the water slammed him into the ground. Then, he had fallen over a hundred feet with the weight of the water on top of him.

It had been thousands of times worse than any Bakusai Tenketsu training he had done. He had lived, though, where as Ranma had not. Even after all three years it was strange not to have him near. No more sparring, no more snide comments about his nocturnal activities, no more Ranma. Konatsu wished he could have been there for the cremation, at least. Konatsu felt Herb squeeze his hand.

Konatsu chuckled softly. Herb never ceased to amaze him. She seemed to instinctively know when he was thinking about his friend, and pulled him out of it before he got depressed. "Ready, dear?" Konatsu offered his arm to Herb. Herb beamed, accepting the arm and shuffling along next to him. Pregnancy certainly seemed to agree with her. Herbs stopped short suddenly, a panicked expression on her face.

"What is it?"

"I have to pee again!"

Konatsu groaned.

"Well, I do!" Somehow, Herb looked cute even when whining.

The ceremony itself was relatively straight forward. Saffron fidgeted while the priest said his blessings, and as soon as it was done the boy tore out of the hall, intent of finding some bug to capture. Soun managed to catch the boy before he made it too far, and Kasumi demanded to hold little Kaoru as the family made its way home.

Back at the Tendo compound, everyone changed into less formal clothing before gathering around the living room table. The conversation stretched as it grew steadily darker. Kasumi and Konatsu headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner. This led to some good natured ribbing about only women being allowed in the kitchen, prompting Konatsu to shift genders. Saffron loved this, squealing in delight. Konatsu never did make it into the kitchen as the little tyke monopolized his time, making him switch back and forth.

Akane volunteered to help out, but Herb beat her to the punch.

"I've got to learn how you do this, you know." Herb rubbed her belly as she waddled into the kitchen. Akane got up to follow, fully intent on helping out anyway. She might not be a stellar cook, but at least she could wash the rice.

"No you don't. You've got servants that wait on you hand and foot! You don't have to lift a finger if you don't want too."

"Not true, Akane. The Musk are still a little low on population to have servants in the palace. Well, more than the vital ones, of course." Herb smiled sadly. "I've gotten much better at cooking, as a result. Still nowhere near as good as Konatsu, though."

Tonight was shabu-shabu, so the only thing that really needed to be done was washing the rice and cutting vegetables. With three cooks in the kitchen things got done rather quickly. That left a lot of time for gossip. With one mother-to-be, one mother twice over, and one girl hoping to join the club, talk soon turned to babies. Akane really didn't have much advice to offer Kasumi in the way of getting pregnant. Herb was full of information, though, and most of it was down right scandalous.

Talk continued in that vein until the rice cooker indicated that the rice was done, the three women carried everything out to the waiting people. Out in the living room Konatsu was talking to Soun about how the surviving Phoenix people were being integrated into the remaining tribes.

Akane scooped out a small portion of rice and a few vegetables and placed them on a tray.

"I'll be right back – you can go ahead and start without me, everyone."

Soun immediately dismissed that notion. "No, it's alright. We'll wait." His sentiment was echoed all around. Akane briefly nodded in thanks, and headed out to the dojo with her offerings. She opened the door slowly, carefully balancing the tray in one hand as she kicked off her slippers and turned to close the door behind her.

With that finished, she turned again, facing the family shrine in the far corner and bowed to it. She walked over to the altar and knelt. She began to carefully place the various food offerings in the shrine, removing the old offerings as she did so. Task finished, she lit a couple a candle and held a couple of sticks of incense over the flame. She waited until the sticks were completely lit before blowing out the flames at the end.

Satisfied, she stuck the ends into a small pot of sand, and struck a small bell. She offered a few quick prayers for her ancestors, and a longer one for Ranma. She always felt calmer when doing this; the scent of the sandal wood, the tone of the bell and the flame dancing before her were mesmeric.

She stared into the small flame dancing atop the candle. The bell rang again, and only after hearing the sound did she realize she had struck it. She watched the flame dance, lost in its beauty as her mind emptied. Maybe it was simply a trick of the light, but it appeared that a small face was dancing in the flames. She continued to stare, unaware of anything but the flame.

The face spoke to her. "Akane..."

"Ranma? Is that you? Where are you?"

"I am."

"I don't understand, Ranma!"

"You will."

"Will I see you again?"

"No."

"What about when we are reborn? Can we meet in the Western Paradise?"   
"I am beyond that now. Death and Rebirth are no longer for me."

"But what about me? What about Saffron, and Kaoru? We miss you!"   
"Saffron's punishment had been served. He is bound by karma like any mortal, now. You will all join me, eventually. It might not happen in this existence, or for many kapla. But you will join with me."

"I love you, Ranma!"

"Your family awaits, Akane. They need you."

"Wait!"

The sound of the door opening behind her caused Akane to turn her head. Standing in the entrance was her youngest child, Kaoru. Behind him stood Saffron, the two children sent by Soun to find their mother.

"Momma?" Kaoru didn't know a lot of words yet, but he knew the important ones.

"Yes, dear?"

The child rubbed his belly. "Hungry!"

"Okay! I'll be right there, okay? Give momma one more second."

The little child nodded. Akane turned back to the candle, but it was just a flame. Had she imagined it? She blew out the candle and rose. When she got to the dojo entrance the two boys just stood there looking at her. She quickly swept them up into a hug.

"You both know that I love you very much, right?" The children nodded. "Good. Let's go eat. Everyone's waiting." She turned to look at the shrine one last time before closing the door.


	22. Omake, Notes, and comments new!

Omake!!!

Happosai muttered as he dumped a bag of his prized treasures on the floor of his room. Muttering about uppity youngsters in general and Ranma in particular, he dug through his treasures, looking for something that would teach the little snot a lesson. He pulled out a steel girdle and bra set, and examined it briefly before tossing it over his shoulder. "Bah... Stupid Valkyries..." Crash! Another item joined the rapidly growing pile as the old letch continued his search. He kept muttering, "no... no... no...." as he examined items one by one before discarding them.

Finally, after about an hour of search, Happosai raised his fist in triumph as he clutched a scroll in his hands. "HA! This will teach him!"

* * *

Ranma was currently strolling atop the fence as he walked back to the temple, lost in thought. Nabiki had just informed him that she might have found his mother. The possibility was mind boggling. Ranma ran over to the Tendo dojo. Kicking off his shoes in the entrance hall, he didn't bother to arrange them as he ran towards the tea room, where Nabiki was waiting. "Yo, Saotome."

"Where is she?" Ranma asked quickly.

Nabiki slid a piece of paper across the table. "A word of caution, Saotome. We have no way of knowing if indeed this is your mother, so I suggest you send a letter before running over there. It might take a few days to confirm, but I think it might be worth it."

Ranma looked at the address, quickly memorizing it before reaching into his pocket to pull out a wallet. He quickly stuffed the slip of paper inside, and made to pocket the billfold.

"By the way, here is the bill for my work." Nabiki slid a second piece of paper his way. Ranma briefly glanced at it. Seeing nothing amiss, he simply opened his wallet and placed the required sum on the table.

"One more request, Nabiki?"

"What?"

"Help me write the letter?"

After the two decided what to say, Ranma requested some paper and a brush set. He wrote a draft, and then handed it to Nabiki to check. Seeing her nod in approval, Ranma wrote one more copy, paying careful attention to the calligraphy. When he was finished, Ranma got up from the table, only to find Happosai standing in front of him.

"Well, isn't that good news, Ranma. Feel like celebrating?" Something about the tone in Happosai's voice set Ranma on edge.

The celebration turned out to be a very brutal sparring match. Happosai wasn't pulling his punches. Ranma hadn't been slacking for two weeks, but he was alone and hard pressed to keep up with the pervert. Happosai landed another blow. Ranma rolled with the strike to help minimize the damage. With a growl, Ranma leapt to his feet and back into the battle.

The tide of the battle was slowly turning to favor Ranma. For what ever reason, Happosai began to steadily give ground as holes opened up in his defenses. Ranma was wary, but tried to capitalize on as many of the openings as possible. Ranma saw another opening and went for it. What he didn't expect was for Happosai to pull out a squirt gun.

Happosai grinned as Ranma blinked at the sudden change. It was all the opening Happosai needed. He pulled out his pipe and delivered a savage blow that stunned the girl. Happosai took his time and lit his pipe, taking a few good draws before walking over to the downed girl. He kicked her once in the ribs to flip her onto her belly. He reached into his gi to pull out a slip of paper. After a brief consultation, nodded and methodically pulled her shirt up to expose her lower back. With a deft motion, he plucked the pipe from his mouth and deposited a glowing hot ember on the exposed spot.

Ranma screamed as a searing pain expanded from her lower back. She lashed out, catching Happosai in the chin and sending him skywards. Ranma rolled onto her back, squirming and grinding her body into the dirt to try and quell the pain.

Happosai frowned. That wasn't supposed to happen. He checked his scroll one last time verifying the moxibustion he had used. He blanched. "Oops."

Happosai came barreling into the house, followed closely by an extremely pissed Ranma. Happosai had a look of absolute terror on his face as he dodged lightning fast blows from the enraged martial artists. Nabiki watched with a stunned expression as Happosai crumpled from a vicious blow. The diminutive master bounded out of the way of a follow up blow, and tossed a scroll to Nabiki.

"Nabiki! Show this to Tofu! Get Kasumi and Akane out of her NOW!!! RUN!!!" Ranma used the distraction to catch Happosai across the back, four parallel lashes exploded in a spray of crimson. "RUNN!!!!!!"

The three girls frantically piled out the door as Happosai's screams echoed across the compound. Nabiki's hackles rose when the screams died abruptly. Akane was nervously biting her nails while Kasumi just seemed a little dazed.

"Come on, we need to get to Tofu's."

"Why Kasumi! Imagin..." Tofu never finished his statement as Akane's slap caught laid him full out.

"Not now doctor! Something terrible has happened to Ranma!!" Nabiki thrust the scroll into Tofu's hands. The doctor stood up, the hand print vividly red against his skin. He started reading for a bit before he blanched. He began to sweat.

"Oh ye gods in heaven above have mercy on us all!"

"I take it Ranma didn't win the lottery, then?"

Tofu's face was grim as he laid out the scroll on the table before the assembled group. Konatsu and Herb were there, as where the three Tendo sisters. Tofu cleared his throat.

"According to the girls, Happosai put a hot ember on Ranma's back before the girl went crazy. After examining this scroll, I think I know what happened." He pointed to the scroll, which showed a human figure and a map of the various pressure point on the body. "It looks like Happosai meant to trigger this spot here, know as the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion. The character meant 'poor,' but could also be interpreted as feeble. It is designed to rob the victim of all strength, making them as weak as a new born baby."

Everyone frowned at the news. Herb began to crack his knuckles while muttering about dismembering the old letch.

"But doctor, if that was true, how could Ranma attack Happosai like that?"

"Good question, Akane. That is what I was going to explain. I think Happosai missed."

Everyone face faulted. "MISSED?"

Tofu adjusted his glasses as he thought carefully about how to phrase his next statement. "If you look at the map, you can see two points very close to each other. One is the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion, and the other is the one I believe Happosai triggered."

"What's it called, Doctor?"

"The Ultimate Freakness Moxibustion."

"The Ultimate Freakness Moxibustion? What's that do?" Akane wasn't the only one puzzled by the doctor's statement.

"It has a terrible, terrible effect on the recipient. It makes them indulge in their baser passions without inhibition, imparting incredible stamina and endurance."

"What happens, Doctor?"

"Basically, it makes the targets their hormones rage uncontrollably. If Ranma gets... aroused, then he will be able to concentrate on nothing else. Ever. If he gets angry, like he did with Happosai, then..." Tofu paused. For some reason, he didn't like the calculating looks that had crossed the girls' faces. And why did Kasumi of all people look relieved?

"Is there a cure, Doctor?" Akane was fidgeting as she asked.

The doctor coughed. "Short of having the moxibustion reversed, the effect could be countered if Ranam... cough wear himself out, sexually. That should reverse the effect."

Akane brightened considerably. "Oh, then that's not too bad, then!"

Tofu shook his head. "You don't understand, Akane! This point is going to impart super human abilities to Ranma! If he gets angry with you, you won't survive!"

Akane smirked. "I don't intend to get him angry." She looked around. "Where do you two think your going?" Kasumi and Nabiki stopped short of the door. They chuckled nervously as a large sweat drop trickled appeared.

"He's my fiancée, remember?" Akane started to glow.

"He heh he..."

"Oh my. I'm sorry, Akane-chan..."

Konatsu passed the popcorn to Herb. Grabbing a handful, the two sat down on an examination couch to watch as Akane started to chew out her sisters.

* * *

Ranma was hungry. Beating up Happosai had worked up quite an appetite. He pulled various leftovers from the fridge and started to assemble a Dagwood, throwing a little bit of everything between several slices of bread. When he was done, the sandwich towered almost a foot high, pieces of fish, chicken, beef, and a various vegetables stacke on with out rhyme or reason. Satisfied, he took his monstrous creating to the living room.

Happosai whimpered as Ranma came into the room. The sound drew the boy's attention, who simply growled at the old man before sitting down to eat. The sandwich disappeared rapidly as the boy took gigantic bites. When it was done, he patted his belly and took a sip of tea.

"Ah... that hit the spot!" At that moment, he heard the front door open. Curious, he got up and walked to the foyer, only to see Akane struggling to shut the door on her sisters, preventing them from entering.

Ranma watched for a couple of seconds until Akane finally succeeded. "Yo, Akane. What's up?" To his amazement, the girl just kicked off her shoes and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the hall.

"Come on, pervert! We don't have a lot of time till they get in." Akane ran up the stairs, Ranma haplessly pulled along behind her.

"Um...Why are we going to your room?" Akane flung the door open and pulled Ranma inside. She threw Ranma on the bed before quickly closing the door and locking it. She climbed on top the stunned Ranma and kissed him.

It didn't take long for his instincts to take over.

* * *

"Drat!" Nabiki snapped her fingers as Akane's moans began to carry through out the house. Kasumi just shook her head, clearing disappointed.

* * *

Two weeks later

At first it had seemed like a good idea. Akane had thought she could handle Ranma's endurance and stamina. After all, wasn't she a martial artist, too? But then, that first night had stretched into two, then three. Finally, the poor girl couldn't take it anymore, and had cried out for help.

Her sisters sacrificed themselves to for the sake of the family.

Akane staggered out of the room and high-fived Nabiki. "Tag!" Nabiki nodded and resolutely marched into the room. They'd been spelling each other off for days now, hoping to satisfy Ranma's incredible lust. The sex never stopped for Ranma – he just ate as he pounded, pumped, and thrust his way through each day. He hadn't paused to sleep, and used the restroom only when necessary. Baths were taken with a partner, of course.

Akane stumbled downstairs to join Kasumi and Nodoka for tea. Kasumi looked just as disheveled and tired as Akane, while Nodoka was positively meaning. Akane sat down gingerly before flopping backwards to lie down on the floor.

"You're next, Kasumi. Nabiki said to rescue her in a few hours. I'm going to take a nap, okay?" The older girl nodded and smiled. Even still, the exhaustion that threatened to claim them all was just barely held at bay.

All three women looked to the ceiling as Nabiki's screams started to come through the floor. A rhythmic pounding could be heard as the pitch and volume began to rapidly grow louder. Kasumi frowned.

"Ranma-kun is certainly giving it to her very hard, isn't he?"

"Yeah... The sacrifices we Tendo's have to make."

"Do you think he'll have some of that left for me when I get up there?"

"Definitely." The two girls shared a grin.

Nodoka couldn't contain herself anymore. "Oh, my son is so manly! He's too much for three women, let alone one!"

That set Akane to thinking. "Hey Kasumi. Do you think we should call some friends?"

Kasumi looked at her in shock. "And waste this opportunity? I refuse to give up so easily! We'll break him yet, Akane!"

* * *

Omake II

Ranma and Shinran sat playing a game of go, idly chatting.

"Do you have any nuggets of wisdom for me today, Shinran?" Ranma placed a stone, waiting for the reply.

"Hmm... Did I tell you the story about the story of the Vietnamese monk who was of fairly high rank within the Buddhist hierarchy?"

"You mean the one whose shortcoming was pride and conceit?" Ranma place another stone.

"Heard that one, huh?"

"Only about thirty times."

"Okay, what about the one with monk with the eight year old acolyte?"

"Which one? The one where the monk saw the boy was going to die or the one about the chickens?"

"Heard both of those?" Shinran place a stone, frowning as he racked his brain for some new stories. "Okay, I have one. How about..."

"Heard it."

"Okay, then how about the one where...."

"Only every day, Shinran. Face it, you need some new stories." Ranma was bored. He place yet another stone, trying to capture a large portion of the board.

Shiran drew sat up straight, drawing himself to his fullest height possible from the floor. "Ranma," he said seriously, "I think you may be ready for my final teaching."

Suddenly Ranma looked interested. The game was forgotten as Shinran tucked his hands inside his sleeves, as he always did when talking about something of importance.

"Let me tell you about a collection of sayings by a very wise sage, a man by the name of Kandel. Very little is known about him, but his reflections and essays on various topics of human nature are vital to understanding the Way. Collectively the sayings are know as the Proverbs for our Times. Are you ready?"

Ranma nodded. "I'm ready, Shinran."

"First we will talk about the importance of Diligence. First, never put off 'til tomorrow what you can avoid altogether. Second, He who puts his nose to the grindstone is a bloody fool."

Ranma blinked.

Shinran continued. "Next we talk about Integrity. He who never passes the buck is a miser. He who spurns the wanton wench is queer." The monk paused to take a breath. "The sage also said, 'I disagree with what you say but will defend to the death your right to tell such lies. Do you understand so far, Ranma?"

"I think so, but..."

Shinran held up a hand to forestall him. "A few words of wisdom about Chastity: Chaste makes Waste. A little yearning is a dangerous thing. The devil finds work in idle gland."

"That makes sense, in a way... What does he say about friendship?"

"I'm glad you asked. The sage says several things, and I will repeat but a few; He who always finds fault with his friends has faulty friends. A man's best friend is his dogma. Forget not that a friend in need is a pest indeed. Finally, he who steps on others to reach the top has good balance.

"Yeah, that's true. I have Ku Lon to thank for that. Is there more?"

"I can go on to talk about the sage's views of Knowledge, Love, Thift, Honesty, Lust, Discretion, Foresight, Brotherhood, Marriage, Opportunity, Wealth, Courage, Achievement, Beauty, Fate, Sincerity, Tolerance, and Happiness, if you wish."

"Wow... I don't know if the author wants to continue trying to come up with a half-hearted scenario to try and work all those in. Why don't you just list them out?"

Shinran nodded. "Good point, Ranma. Anyway, here goes the rest of the list. The Power of positive pessimism!"

**

* * *

Knowledge**

The pen is mightier than the pencil.

Genius is ten percent inspiration and fifty percent

capital gains.

He who trains his tounge to quote the learned sages

will be know, far and wide, as a smart-ass.

Confucius say too much!

**Love**

All the world loves a four letter word.

In the spring, a fancy young man lightly turns his

lover over.

All's fear in love and war.

Love is a many gendered thing.

Two is company, three is an orgy.

**Thrift**

A penny saved is ridiculous.

It's not the money, it's the principal and interest.

Two can live as cheaply as one, for half as long.

What ye shall owe so ye shall keep.

**Honesty**

He who steals my purse steals cash.

What fools these morals be!

He who always plows a straight furrow is in a rut.

**Lust**

Familiartity breeds.

The bigger they are, the harder they maul.

Let him who is stoned cast the first sin.

**Foresight**

You can't judge a book by its author.

The early bird catches the early worm.

**Discretion**

A smart man knows on which side his broad is better.

He us uses bad language is an ignorant schmuck.

Expedience is the best teacher.

Children should be obscene and not heard.

**Brotherhood**

Ask not for whom the bell tolls and you will pay only the station-to-station rate.

Do unto others before they do unto you.

A house divided against itself is a split level.

If you can't say something nice about a person, say something nasty.

If you can't say it to his face, say it behind his back.

**Marriage**

It takes two to tangle.

A man must do something to relieve the monogamy.

'Tis better to have loved and lust.

A man's house is his hassle.

**Opportunity **

Give a man enough hope and he'll hang himself.

Where there's a will, there's an inheritance tax.

He who hesitates is constipated.

**Wealth**

He who inherits riches shall never know the joy of toiling endlessly for his daily bread.

Money is the root of all evil and a man needs roots.

The best things in life are for a fee.

**Courage**

Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahea...

**Achievement**

Underneath every successful man there's a woman.

Necessity is a mother.

Ther is no rest for the wary.

**Beauty**

Beneath a rough exterior often beats a harlot of gold.

Turn them upside down and they all look alike.

**Fate**

All's well that ends well and vice-versa.

He who is flogged by fate and laughs the louder is a masochist.

**Sincerity**

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time but you can make a fool of yourself anytime.

Always be sincere, even when you don't mean it.

An honest man's word is as good as his blonde's.

Squaw who speaks with forked tongue can teach young brave many new tricks.

**Tolerance**

Let us remember that ours is a nations of lawyers and order.

Everyone has a right to my own opinion.

People who live in stone houses shouldn't throw glasses.

**Happiness**

Happiness can't buy money.

Laugh, and the whole world thinks you're an idiot.

He who findeth sensuous splendor in the hot pink bodies of luscious damsels is not righteous.

He who laughs last doesn't get the joke.

When Shinran had finished reading down the list, Ranma simply said, "That was lame." The two turned back to the game.

"Yes, but you have to admit you hadn't heard it before."

"Well, yeah, but it really has nothing to do with this story." Ranma place another stone.

"Hey, don't criticize me. Blame the author. He's the one who can't write humor."

"Yeah, and what the & was that, in the previous scene? The Ultimate Freakness Moxibustion? I mean, COME ON! But, I did get to bang all three Tendos..."

Shinran shot him an evil glare. "You lucky dog. Who was the best?"

"Hmm... believe it or not, I'd have to go with Kasumi. I mean, all three are truly freaknasty, but Akane is... a little too enthusiastic, and has some hang ups. I mean, she almost protested to going down on my girl side. Can you believe that?"

Shinran just shook his head. "Disgusting. What kind of children are we bringing up in today's society?"

Ranma agreed. "Seriously! It's not like she doesn't eat fish practically every day anyway! Anyway, Nabiki is waaay too controlling. Not that I don't like a little role play and light bondage, but she has a wardrobe to make Kodachi jealous. Kasumi, however, is good, giving, and game for just about anything."

"GGG? Wow. Who would have thought?"

"Yeah. Only problem is she doesn't have the stamina her youngest sister does. But, her heart's in the right place."

"How did we get on this conversation, anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know? The author was bored, and didn't want to start the next life consuming project yet?"

"Hmm...Pathetic."

"Tell me about it."

Silence reigned for a few minutes as the pair concentrated on the game. Finally, Shinran had to ask.

"So, um... Kasumi. Is she really that GGG?"

"Totally, dude. Hell, she'll hold her ankles for you and smile the whole time. It's pretty freaking awesome."

"Is she... um... seeing anyone right now?"

"Why?"

"I mean... I'm a monk, and it's been a long time..."

"That's gross!"

"Hey, I'm only human. It's not like I've achieved enlightenment or anything yet!"

"No, I just mean you should call Nabiki first. She gets off on corrupting people."

Shinran paused. "Oh, you don't mind?"

Ranma just waved a hand. "No, why should I? Come on – I'm already dead according to the main arc of this story. Why should I mind if some of my pals get some ass before it ends?"

Shinran began to tear up. "Ranma, you're the best! Sorry about you dying and all, though."

"Naw, it's cool. It isn't really a sad thing – I mean in the end I am all enlightened and stuff. It's pretty groovy to be one with the cosmos and all."

"Is it as good as they say?"

"Not really. You just end up not caring about anything anymore."

"Even sex?"

"Yeah."

"Bummer!"

"Tell me about it." Ranma placed his last stone. "So, who won this game?"

"You, if you give me Nabiki's number."

Ranma quickly pulled out a piece of paper with the girl's number on it. "Here it is. You might want to call her after about 11, because she works at the local S&M club on weeknights."

"Thanks. Ranma?"

"What?"

Shinran whipped out a huge bong from nowhere. "Feel like smoking a bowl?"

"No thanks. I've got my own." Ranma finished tying off as he flicked the tip of the needle.

* * *

Notes and comments –

First, I'd like to thank all the readers and reviewers who took part in this story. I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Just because the stories over doesn't mean the comments and questions have to end! I'll answer any questions I can.

Next,

MWUHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA AHAHA HAHAHA hahah aha ahaa ...

Wheeze.

Whew.

Now that I got that off my chest, I can get on with the rest of this. First, I'd like to thank a few sources that I utilized to write this work.

First and foremost,

Damien Keown's most excellent quick refrence book, Buddhism; A Very Short Introduction. Only 125 pages long, it is a work of genius, spanning the most of the breadth of the subject, addressing most major points, being highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable.

I also utilized volumes 1-38 of the Manga quite a lot in the course of writing this. Some other sources that were used but not as useful include

Sources of Japanese Tradition

Sources of Japanese Buddhism (Volumes I and II).

Some web resources #N1, which Is a fun site about the issue of , a collection of , and excellent work about the nature of the Buddha's enlightenment.

I would peruse all three if you have an interest.

Now, about how this story got started – one day I had the thought, 'I wonder what Ranma would be like as a monk?' That got me to thinking if I had ever read a fanfic story like that. No? Well, why not write one? This was only my second attempt ever, my first being "Warmed Milk" way back in time. That decided upon, I needed a way to remove Ranma from his father's influence. Cat fist? Perfect. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't done that, because it became a major stumbling block for the writing and ended up hurting more than helping.

Next, in order for Ranma to improve when not with his father, he needed to be around people as strong or stronger than he was. I didn't want to use any major characters. That left Konatsu and Herb. One or the other... Hey, why not both? Plus, Herb has a curse... cool!

Next, Ranma needed to be tempted by the ways of the world, so that meant love interest. For all those haters out there, this was not a Ranma/Akane fic, but rather a RANMA fic, as I had always claimed. But, if he didn't know desire/lust/love, he would never be able to overcome it. What would you rather I have him do? Bang some super hot chick like shampoo and dump her, or fall in love with a mildly violent person who could understand him (and survive when the relationship ended.)

I at first intended for Ranma to be a monk, but someone had guessed my intention way back in the first couple of reviews...(cough abbadon cough). I was surprised it was guessed so easily, so after that point I tried to be a little more... mysterious in my foreshadowing. I don't know if it worked or not, but I hope it did. If the ending caught you by surprise, then I did my job.

Speaking of the ending, that &ing epilogue was hard to write. I really struggled over the scene with Ranma, as well as to the question of whether or not to kill off all the heroes. I decided to allow Konatsu to live, but I was going to cripple him. Ranma had to go, or else I think he would have been too honor bound to leave Akane. Herb I couldn't die, I think – he outmatched his opponents too greatly.

I'm sorry if the readers thought the ending was sad – it was not intended to be that way. Of course it's too bad Akane was left alone, but the whole point of this was Ranma. By the end of the story he had achieved his dream. The impact didn't kill him, he simply knew he was no longer needed.

About the omake – I'm sorry, I really do apologize. I just felt like writing them, and as I said, I didn't want to start on the next project. My plan was to do a Ranma/wheel of time crossover (which has the making of a disaster about to happen), but didn't want to do it until I have a clearer plan of what I expect to accomplish. I know how I'm going to do the cross over, but not much more besides that. If I truly finish it, it will be massive – so I'm trying to find some way of cutting it down to finish in fewer than 100,000 words, and not the 500,000 it could conceivable become. There is no way I could finish a work that mammoth and make it be any good.

By the way, it just occurred to me that this is the second fic I ever wrote. Wow.

Well, that's about it, I think. Now, to answer questions and comments, including recent ones:

Silverbullet23 writes:

"Interesting Read, i thought that it had a lot of good points, i just started reading it today, but have actually been waiting for time to read the whole thing in one sitting like i did. I really enjoyed it but i was really hoping you weren't going to do what you did do. I was expecting it from the chapter where he decided to leave like that. Very good fic, keep writing. If you want a beta reader, just e-mail me and let me know. I am working on my own fic but i would still be happy to do a beta read on yours. Good story and keep writing!"

Thank you for the support. I will keep your offer in mind.

Ryan T Nelson writes:

"ok. First and foremost I have to say I think this story, in it's entirety, has got to be one of the most incredible pieces of fiction I have come across. You are a very talented, incredible writer and I consider myself lucky to have come across this little gem. I enjoyed every chapter immensely. I especially loved the ending. It wasn't a happy ending. But that's a good thing sometimes. People tend to lose sight of the fact that in the real world there are very rarely happy endings.

I know I'm ranting a bit but please bear with me as I have one more thing to say.

I have taken a habit of encouraging any good writer I come across to continue writing. You are by far one of the best I've seen. I would like to offer my advice for you to consider writing something original. I think you might honestly have a very good chance at making a living as a novelist.

Good luck to you in your pursuits and I look forwards to reading anything else you may decide to craft."

Wow. I am really stunned by the response this story has originated. I am thinking of either updating/re-writing "Short and Sweet" next, or perhaps a fusion of a short web film I saw and Ranma. Thank you for your encouragement, and I will keep writing. It simply takes a good idea to get it to happen.

Taxzombie writes:

A very interesting and if you will pardon the pun 'enlightening' chapter.

A tradegy with Shampoo and fulfilment with Ranma. Shampoo was able to go out like true Amazon, one whose name will live on in the tribe, what more could she really ask?

Ranma didn't die because of the fall, he simply left his body behind because he no longer needed it. Now he has all the time there is to wait for the others to join him, eventually. This was a twist I do not ever recall reading.

Normally I am saddened when Ranma dies in a fic, yet with yours there is no saddness. Nor is there rejoying, for even though Ranma has moved on, he has left everyone else behind, so I find myself feeling only acceptance of what is in this tale. Perhaps that is as it should be, perhaps not.

The commencing of the redemption of Nabiki was a very interesting twist too. What else can it be when she decides to become a police detective?

As I said in my earlier review, for which I humbled to learn encouraged you to continue to write, this is one that deserves to be read twice, so that a person can be sure to follow all that is going on. I thank you for your kind comments concerning my to few reviews.

As some have already said this is a classic. I expect I will be revisiting this tale repeatedly as the years go by. I thank you again for a most excellent read.

I like you!  I've run out of things to say, but I am happy that the implied intent of my story came across. Please, recommend this to your friends!

Jonny G writes:

"Hey, no need to be stunned by my review. I just call them like I see them, and I meant every word. I must say, the ending to this story certainly did not disappoint. While I don't mind the "everyone lives happily ever after" stories, they do tend to get a little old. Having a sad ending is not bad, especially when it's laced with hope for the characters left behind, as this one was (which I think is something sorely missing in the Chrno Crusade anime if you've watched it). Of course, you even managed to throw in a great twist with the adoption. That was truly an inspired idea.

Anyhow, thanks for plugging Aijou & Aitou to your readers, I'm glad you're enjoying it. One of the many things that your story has, that mine does not, is great action. Of course, that's mainly because mine focuses on drama and romance (and character interaction). However, my Irikara story will have a tremendous amount of action, and I just hope I can pull it off as well as you do. I hope you'll follow the story once I start releasing it (which I hope will be soon).

In parting, let me say once again that this is a truly excellent story, one that I will be putting in my Favorite Stories list with the hope that my readers will see it and give it a try. Also, I am really looking forward to seeing what you have in store for your next work. If you have any desire to bounce ideas around or simply chat about Ranma, anime, or writing, don't hesitate to contact me.

Thanks again for this story.

Best,  
JohnnyG"

Again, thank you. Your words are too kind. I will probably take you up on that offer at some point, just to see what happens... I'm glad you enjoy it.

Alex Ultra writes:

"Although I am saddened by the fact that it's over, I feel honored to have been able to enjoy this fine piece of literature.

One of the ways by which I define a great work is memorability. A great story never dies, and will come up to recollection years from now, making you say to yourself, "Yeah, I remember that. It was great." It fills your heart with a warm feeling and puts a smile on your face. I can honestly say that I feel that this is a truly great work.

I am also happy to hear that you, the author, plan to grace us even more with yet another story. I have the utmost confidence that it, too, will be a great one in its own way.

So, in celebration of a great moment come and passed, Cheers! Clink!

Alex Ultra: Forever In Search of Greatness

LATER"

Again, thank you very much. I had a lot of influences, and read lots of memorable stories that have stayed with me to this day. If I have managed to create something like that for others, than I am happy, and this story has served its purpose.

I raise my glass to all the readers out there. A toast to the readers, then, for without them no story would ever be written.

Jerry Unipeg writes:

"I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! I am sad to see it ending, but all good things have to end sooner or later. This is one of the best story I read.  
Thank you for the story."

You're welcome. Thank you for the encouragement and support!

Nonengel writes:

"wow... not the ending i had expected. Great story, I hope you write and submit more"

Thank you. I might not for a couple of months, but I will at some point.

Law-kun writes

"Great story, one of my recent favs. Shame about Ranma dieing, but then Buddism is supposed to be about life, death and rebirth after all.

I had to feel sorry for akane there at the end, a widow at 16! That has to suck.

Hope your future stories are as good as this one, it is one of the good ones."

Again, my intention was not to make people sad for Akane, but rather happy for Ranma.

Wondeebee31 writes:

"Well, what a strange and wonderful trip it's been. This has turned out to be one of the best Ranma stories that's came out this year. With the way that Ranma has moved on, I felt sorry for Akane, and glad that you left her that hope at the ending. Don't really know what else to say,(crap, now I hit another writers block:) except, this was a fine story, and I look forward to what comes next."

Thank you. It's funny how people have reacted to this story – the hope isn't for just Akane, the hope (or at least as I meant to portray it) is for all of humanity. According to Pureland Buddhist philosophy, the Buddha Amitabba made 48 vows that he would hold off his own enlightenment until he could save all of humanity. Because he is in fact a Buddha implies that he succeeded in his vows, meaning that all of humanity will eventually be saved. Also, this goes back to that old question of "does the dog have the Buddha nature?"

The answer, or course is Mu – it means that the question is invalid, therefore no answer is possible. All sentient beings have the Buddha nature, meaning that all beings who are sentient are capable of becoming the Buddha in time. The argument is that to the extent a dog is sentient it has the Buddha nature, and thus the question is invalid. (sorry, a very short explanation of a very complex question, or at least as I understand it. The more scholarly out there will be able to pick apart my statement easily, but please, be gentle.)

Back to the original point – the object is that Akane and her children will eventually find enlightenment on their own, be it ten years from now or ten million. At that point, the will join Ranma in nirvana, or the ultimate oblivion, breaking from the cycle of death and rebirth. This is the ultimate aim of all Buddhist practice, to finally free yourself from misery and suffering.

Gemini310 writes:

"Usually I like my fics to have happier endings... but this one was an example of a fic that i enjoyed reading all the way through, despite the not so happy ending. You are quite talented, and I very much hope that you will continue to write.  
In this last chapter, I especially liked the reference to "Hero," that was very well done.  
Thanks for writing, I look forward to reading your work in the future!"

Sorry for the shameless Hero plug, but that movie was a beautiful work of art, and I recommend it to all. If you like Ranma, you will like the movie. It is poignant, colorful, and thought provoking.

WarpWizard writes:

"Interesting chapter. Swap the names of Shampoo and Akane at the end and you'd double the entertainment value, though."

Thanks for the encouragement. Sorry you feel that way about Shampoo and Akane.

JonnyG writes:

"Well, let's see. First of all, this story is quite original in my mind. There are too many things to count, but the way you handled things with Ranma, Konatsu, and Herb were both refreshing and entertaining. As far Akane goes, while I agree with some reviewers that others pairings may have been more fun, I certainly can't fault you for the choice that you made.

From a technical standpoint (grammar, spelling, and punctuation), your skills are superb. There were still mistakes scattered throughout, but that's normal. In addition to reading new chapters of Aijou & Aitou after I write them, and then giving them to three proofreaders, I still find errors when I revisit them months later. Ah well, it's the curse of writing I suppose.

Anyhow, I also wanted to say that your story-telling skills are also very good. You keep the story interesting and don't bog the reader down with too much information, or fly through things without giving enough. Along that same thought process, your ability to describe things (the characters, their surrounding, their feelings, etc.) is exceptional.

I look forward to the finale of this story. Please keep up the good work."

Wow. I'm stunned. Thank you for the wonderful review. I am actually amazed I didn't make more mistakes, considering how quickly this work was written. Had I taken a little more time, I'm sure it would have been a little more worthwhile. Thank you for the compliments. Allow me to take this time to recommend to readers JonnyG's Aijou and Aitou, and excellent work in progress.

CyrilleAshram writes:

"uber job , man(like alays :p) really fluid writing and what an evil cliffy here.cant wait for next chapter"

Well, the next chapter is up and the story is finished. I might write some afterthoughts, but I have an idea for a new story I'd like to work on next.

Xero Reflux writes:

"its a good story but 1. akane has had NO weapon training so that idea is out the window and 2. Ryoga would have tried to knock akane out anyway and get her away from the fight because he promised ranma."

Thank you for the compliments. On point 1, that Akane has no weapons training, I would have to say you're wrong. All marital artists have weapons training, even if they don't use them. And a maul is simply a large hammer – you wanna tell me she doesn't know how to use that thing? Point 2 – maybe, maybe not. He just agreed to keep her safe. But, it was useful for the plot, so why not? I'm sorry if you didn't like it, but...

Taxzombie writes:  
"I believe that this is the first story where I've seen the Phoenix people as purely evil. It's a rather chilling thought. The way they acted made me think of the SS, basically souless killers. Very scary. Very well done.

Saffron, now there is a true case of evin incarnate. An immortal gone mad. His only wish is to die and if it takes the death of all humanity that is fine by him. That IS evil indeed. Br.

I'm guessing that the three heroes will be back together again, what with the litter and the body falling from the sky. I also suspect a long convolensence is in order too.

I was suprised that you killed Shampoo, and it appears possible Ryoga. That was not something I expected all.

An excellent chapter and true pleasure to read.  
Thank you for sharing it."

Thank you again! I remember taxzombies review for very early on in the fic, and in fact it encouraged me to continue writing. So thanks! As for this review, thank you for the comments on the Phoenix. As for the heroes... well. You shall see. I didn't need to kill Shampoo, but the story needed a little tragedy, I thought....

Nonengel writes:

"nice description of the battle, I'm impressed with how much detail you managed to put in within such a short space."

Thanks. I didn't want it to be to cumbersome. Watch lord of the rings if you want long drawn out battles. I prefer mine short and snappy, and looks like you do, too.

Jerry Unipeg writes:

"I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! The fight was GREAT also."

Ah, Jerry! Thanks again for the reviews. I just feel like my day isn't complete with out your review. ïﾁŠ

Gemini310 writes:

"Epic. As we all knew it would be. But I must say, you surpassed my expectations... can't wait for the conclusion!"

I wasn't trying for epic, but I'm glad that you managed to read through all 200 pages of this stuff an still be entertained. Thank you for reading. It was a pleasure to write. My next story now – that will be epic. ïﾁŠ


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